The South African Policing Union (SAPU) has officially called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to immediately reinstate the suspended National Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola. The union’s urgent demand follows explosive testimony at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, which is currently investigating political interference and corruption within South Africa’s criminal justice system.
According to SAPU, recent evidence brought before the commission reveals that General Masemola was the target of an orchestrated campaign designed to remove him from office using state organs.
The union pointed specifically to the testimony of an Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) prosecutor, Advocate Drushantha Ramsamy. Ramsamy testified that investigators Dylan Perumal and an official named Johnson were ordered to probe the police chief despite finding absolutely no case or evidentiary link connecting Masemola to a controversial state tender.
“The evidence presented at the Madlanga Commission clearly demonstrates that General Masemola was unfairly targeted,” SAPU stated in a media briefing, warning that ongoing internal battles and the suspensions of top leadership are severely destabilizing the South African Police Service (SAPS).
General Masemola was placed on a precautionary suspension by President Ramaphosa in April 2026. The suspension followed allegations under the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) linked to an irregular R360 million SAPS health services contract awarded to Medicare24.
However, reports surrounding the inquiry indicate that Masemola’s defense hinges on the fact that he personally cancelled the irregular Medicare24 contract after it was flagged during an internal SAPS audit. The union argues that punishing the commissioner for a contract he moved to block highlights the political nature of his removal.
Currently, Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane is serving as the acting National Police Commissioner. SAPU has urged President Ramaphosa to act swiftly to end the leadership uncertainty at the top of the country’s law enforcement hierarchy, arguing that the police force needs stable leadership to focus on its primary mandate of combating high crime rates across South Africa rather than navigating internal political disputes.
The Presidency has not yet issued a formal response to SAPU’s latest demands.