SAPS's Molefe Fani admits Matlala’s R360m tender award should’ve been disqualified

National police divisional commissioner and head of procurement Molefe Fani has admitted that a R360 million tender awarded to Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala should have been disqualified.

Fani has also confirmed that they did not conduct a criminal background check on Matlala, who scored the massive medical services tender despite having a host of criminal convictions and pending charges.

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Fani made the concessions on Thursday while giving evidence before the Parliament ad hoc committee investigating policecorruption.

Fani concluded his evidence, where he was grilled by members of Parliament (MPs) and the evidence leaders about whether he saw any red flags when Matlala’s company was shortlisted for the tender.

Fani was grilled by MPs about the tender award despite Matlala’s criminal past.

Fani told MPs that, ideally, Matlala’s Medicare24 should have been disqualified after certain documents were tampered with.

“One of the tender requirements that we have is that the submitted schedules should not be changed or altered in any form. If they have been altered, this should have been a disqualification.”

Fani also conceded that other irregularities were picked up in the tender around the shortening of the advertising period, and action will be taken against implicated officials.

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