Madlanga Commission: Criminal Charges to Follow Carrim No-Show as Chauke-Matlala Probe Deepens
EZA Media | Lead Editor, Everything ZA News
The Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Criminality and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System—famously known as the Madlanga Commission—has officially lost patience with stall tactics, confirming it will press criminal charges against North West businessman and ANC member Suliman Carrim.
Chairperson Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga drew a firm line after Carrim failed to appear before the commission and refused to submit to an independent medical examination, bringing months of legal maneuvering and no-shows to an abrupt end.
The Medical Excuse vs. The Woolies Run
For months, Carrim’s legal team insisted that the multi-millionaire was medically incapacitated and confined to a treatment facility. However, the commission’s evidence leaders, led by Advocate Adila Hassim, dropped a bombshell by revealing that while Carrim was supposedly too ill to take the witness stand, he was regularly taking extended outings—up to eight hours a day—visiting Woolworths and Kauai stores in Cape Town.
When the commission ordered an independent specialist evaluation to verify his fitness to testify, Carrim refused to comply.
“The commission is going to set the criminal process in motion. The commission will direct the commission secretary to lay criminal charges against Mr Carrim. If the commission were not to do that, witnesses will decide willy-nilly not to appear before it.”— Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, Commission Chairperson
The R360-Million SAPS Tender & Cat Matlala Web
Carrim’s testimony is a crucial piece of the puzzle in the commission’s probe into alleged underworld kingpin Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala. At the center of the investigation is a R360-million SAPS wellness contract awarded to Medicare24, alongside millions in funds advanced by Carrim and a R500,000 transfer to Hangwani Maumela.
While Carrim previously testified that he was “played” out of R8.2 million by long-time associates after advancing funds into Matlala’s Medicare24 company, evidence leaders contend his role in co-funding police tenders and passing sensitive information requires rigorous cross-examination.
Chauke-Matlala Probe Intensifies
The move to prosecute Carrim under the Commissions Act comes as the inquiry deepens its investigation into the Chauke-Matlala network. Investigators are dissecting high-level friction between the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and police investigators regarding Gauteng Director of Public Prosecutions Andrew Chauke and his alleged ties to Matlala’s procurement web.
By handing Carrim’s dossier over to law enforcement, the Madlanga Commission has sent an unambiguous message to all remaining witnesses: medical excuses will no longer serve as a shield against public accountability.
About The Author
