SAPS
1Min
South Africa
Nov 20, 2025
A R360 million SAPS tech tender awarded to businessman Cat Matlala has ignited a political firestorm after Parliament grilled police commissioner Lt-Gen Tumelo Fani on how the contract was secured. Fani admitted Matlala had no prior SAPS contracts, raising deeper questions about procurement integrity.
The controversy surrounding the R360 million SAPS technology tender awarded to businessman Cat Matlala deepened this week as police commissioner Lieutenant-General Tumelo Fani faced intense questioning in Parliament.
On Thursday, MPs demanded clarity on how Matlala secured such a significant contract despite having no prior work with the police and long-standing concerns about questionable tender processes within the service.
Matlala, who has faced public scrutiny in the past for his ties to influential political networks, became the centre of inquiry when it emerged that his company received the lucrative contract to supply specialised policing technology. The deal has raised red flags about whether standard procurement checks were followed and whether SAPS may have overlooked more experienced or competitively priced bidders.
Fani, appearing visibly strained during the session, confirmed that Matlala had not previously contracted with SAPS. However, he insisted that all procurement rules had been followed, arguing that the bidding process was open, competitive and compliant with the law.
MPs pressed him further, pointing out that the public perception of political favouritism cannot be ignored, especially given the scale of the tender and the persistent historical allegations of irregularities linked to SAPS procurement.
Several committee members questioned whether the vetting of Matlala’s company had been sufficiently rigorous, particularly given its limited track record. Others expressed concern that SAPS continues to award major technology tenders to politically connected individuals without ensuring such contracts genuinely strengthen policing capacity.
The matter has become more than a procurement issue. It has ignited broader debate about the culture of tender awarding in SAPS, the transparency of its decision-making structures and the need to rebuild public trust at a time when crime-fighting efforts require both credibility and accountability.
While Fani promised that further documentation would be provided to the committee, MPs made it clear that they expected a deeper explanation than the “procedurally compliant” defence often heard in Parliament. The committee indicated that it may call additional witnesses and review the full tender evaluation file.
