SAPS CFO Dimpane disputes Mchunu's use of her note on PKTT

SAPS’ Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Lieutenant-General Puleng Dimpane, made it clear that she was frustrated with how her comment on the disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) was presented out of context.

She clarified that “rather than advocating for the disbandment of the PKTT, I advocated that a study be conducted to determine whether it should be made a permanent structure”.

Dimpane appeared before the Ad Hoc Committee established to investigate allegations made by the South African Police Service (SAPS) KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Head, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, on Tuesday.

The committee relocated proceedings from Parliament to Gauteng this week, where they are stationed at Kgoši Mampuru Correctional Centre in Tshwane. The decision was made to hear the testimony of Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, who is currently in custody.

Matlala, believed to be connected to fraudulent transactions in the Tembisa Hospital R2 billion 'looting', was arrested in April, for allegedly orchestrating the 2023 attempted murder of his ex-girlfriend, actress Tebogo Thobejane, and is currently in custody after being denied bail.

He is also believed to be at the forefront of SAPS tenders allegedly manipulated to benefit criminal syndicates purportedly protected by senior politicians and police officials.

Dimpane testified that she took over as CFO in 2019 and informed the committee that her role does not extend to operational decisions, nor is she responsible for the awarding of contracts. Her function is to confirm that funds are available and to make recommendations.

When suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu testified before the committee, he made reference to Dimpane’s information note as one of the reasons for his disbanding of the PKTT.

“I did not give anyone permission to utilise that information note. That information note was an information note requesting funding from the project leader to the national commissioner, and it came to my table to then confirm if funding was available.

“I was shocked to hear about that information note being utilised as evidence in this regard, and nobody has ever asked me about the context of that particular comment that I had made on this information note. Nobody.”

Dimpane explained that the request for funding was made by the PKTT project leader, and was submitted in March, just before the end of the financial year.

“This (information note) is a conversation that I had with the national commissioner, where I made several observations and comments, and I was shocked when this information note was utilised as evidence and trying to portray a picture as if I was advocating for the disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team.

“It is taken out of context, then I believe that this is not an important platform to deal with the context in terms of this information note. I wish to say that I did not give anyone permission to use that or give anyone the physical document to use in their evidence.”

She explained that she was drawing attention to the fact that the PKTT had been in existence for five years and that “given the ongoing need as well as to ensure proper planning, budgeting, accountability and proper resource allocation, it might be necessary to prepare a work study to establish a permanent structure”. 

“I stated that the component head: OD must be ‘tasked to urgently conduct a work study investigation for the establishment of a permanent structure in KZN’. Rather than advocating the disbandment of the PKTT, I advocated that a study be conducted to determine whether it should be made a permanent structure. 

“Moreover, the national commissioner agreed with my assessment, but the only area of disagreement was that he believed the PKTT should not be localised to KZN,” Dimpane said.

Dimpane said that she remains unsure how Mchunu and Deputy Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya were able to receive her information note.

Dimpane also informed the committee that a forensic investigation is under way into the tender that was awarded to Matlala and is nearing conclusion, with a report expected in December.

In June 2024, the SAPS awarded a major security services tender to Medicare24, a company linked to Matlala. 

Twenty-two bidders submitted tenders, but Medicare24 was selected after evaluation and adjudication committees endorsed it as compliant with procurement requirements.

However, shortly after the award, investigative reports raised concerns that the company lacked a valid operating licence, key documents related to third-party supplier arrangements were missing, and allegations surfaced that Matlala exerted undue influence over procurement officials.

“This matter is an embarrassment,” Dimpane said. “We are tired of senior management not dealing with irregular expenditure in the way it is supposed to be dealt with. This forensic investigation is dealt with by experienced people who will be able to unearth this maladministration that has happened here, and give us the real people who must be held accountable, with the possibility of recovering monies in this particular matter.

“That forensic investigation is in the reporting phase and is being concluded, and we are looking forward to the outcome of that report.”

theolin.tembo@inl.co.za