Acting National Commissioner Puleng Dimpane Heads to Court
- Acting national police commissioner Puleng Dimpane applied to the SCA to reconsider its dismissal of SAPS's appeal against a R1.2 billion debt
- The debt stems from a R460 million contract SAPS abandoned, now accumulating R1 million in interest every week
- FDA director Keith Keating opposed the application, calling it flawed and insisting an oral agreement only needed to be formalised in writing
Source: Getty Images
GAUTENG— Acting National Police Commissioner Puleng Dimpane has turned to the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) to challenge its earlier refusal to grant SAPS leave to appeal a R1.2 billion debt owed to technology firm Forensic Data Analysts (FDA).
According to TimesLIVE, the dispute traces back to a December 2025 ruling by Pretoria High Court Judge Sulet Potterill, who ordered SAPS to compensate FDA for intellectual property and ongoing maintenance services. At the heart of the matter is a R460 million contract that the police abandoned, a decision that has since seen the outstanding amount swell considerably. Court papers indicate that SAPS is accruing R1 million in interest per week on the unresolved debt.
Biometrics shutdown and thousands of lost firearms
The breakdown in the SAPS-FDA relationship had serious operational consequences. When the legal dispute escalated in 2019, FDA shut down the biometrics system it had supplied to the police. With the system offline, officers were forced to revert to manual firearm tracking, a process that ultimately led to the disappearance of more than 3,000 weapons. Suspended Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola was previously ordered by the court to sign the outstanding contract and authorise payment.
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Dimpane warns of grave injustice
In her petition to the SCA, Dimpane argued that the Pretoria High Court overstepped its boundaries by directing SAPS to procure the software at a price that had been set in advance, effectively bypassing standard government procurement procedures. She contended that exceptional circumstances justify a review of the appeal dismissal and cautioned that a grave failure of justice would result if the SCA did not reconsider its position.
FDA director Keith Keating filed an opposing submission, rejecting Dimpane's arguments as flawed in both logic and fact. Keating pointed out that FDA had served as the sole supplier of the biometric system for fifteen years.
He also noted that during a previous system emergency, FDA representatives were escorted by a blue light brigade to the Presidential Guesthouse to resolve the crisis, underscoring the firm's critical role. Keating maintained that the oral agreement reached between the parties needed only to be committed to writing in order for FDA to receive its final payment.
Hawks to probe General Puleng Dimpane
In a related article, Briefly News reported on the criminal complaint lodged against Dimpane concerning the R360 million Medicare24 deal. This investigation follows the suspension of Major General Fannie Masemola over similar allegations, raising critical questions about accountability within the South African Police Service.
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Source: Briefly News
