South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has suspended the national police chief after he was charged with breaking finance laws over the awarding of a healthcare contract.
National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola was suspended on Thursday in the latest scandal to hit South Africa’s police force. Ramaphosa is under increasing pressure to stamp out corruption before voting in local elections begins in November.
The police minister, national commissioner and his deputy have all now been suspended or placed on leave in a rare concentration of upheaval at the top of the force.
Masemola is accused of flouting procurement laws in the awarding of a 360-million-rand ($21.7m) police tender for health services to the company Medicare24. The firm is run by businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, who is suspected of links to organised crime. The contract has since been cancelled.
Prosecutors alleged Medicare24 colluded with police officials to secure the tender to provide health services to the police. Matlala received payments of a little more than 50 million rand ($3.03m) before the contract was cancelled.
