Ramaphosa lifts Masemola’s suspension after charges withdrawn

President Cyril Ramaphosa has lifted National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola’s precautionary suspension after criminal charges against him were withdrawn. Masemola is scheduled to resume his duties on Monday, October 19, 2026, the Presidency said Friday. The charges, which concerned alleged contraventions of the Public Finance Management Act, arose from a police health-services tender awarded to Medicare24. The National Prosecuting Authority said the National Director of Public Prosecutions directed that the charges be withdrawn after concluding there were no reasonable prospects of a successful prosecution. The Pretoria Magistrates Court formally withdrew the charges on September 22, according to reports of the court action. Masemola had been placed on precautionary suspension in April, after appearing in court. The suspension was agreed between him and Ramaphosa while the criminal proceedings were underway. The tender was reported as worth R228 million in some accounts and R360 million in another. The available information does not establish whether the amounts refer to different scopes or otherwise explain the variation. The charges were linked to the contract, but the...