The testimony of businessperson and ANC member Suliman Carrim, who invested R10m in attempted murder accused Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala’s company, before the Madlanga commission has been postponed to March.
Carrim contested his appearance before the commission investigating allegations of criminal infiltration at the high court in Johannesburg and attempted to interdict the commission from subpoenaing him.
The application was dismissed by judge Denise Fisher on Thursday.
With a subpoena hanging over his head, Carrim appeared before the commission on Friday and requested a postponement to prepare his testimony.
His representative Kameel Premhid filed a request before retired justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga for time to go through the bulk of the documents the commission gave him for his testimony.
Carrim will take to the witness box after a three-month stand-off with the commission after accusing it of breaching procedural rules and treating him unfairly in its request for him to provide a statement and appear before it.
His attorney Sikander Tayob’s main contention against the commission was pinned on procedural flaws in the notice served to him on October 29 2025 to submit a statement to the commission to explain his relationship with Matlala, suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu and Maj-Gen Feroz Khan, head of counter-security at crime intelligence.
He contended the commission’s notice neither notified Carrim of prior evidence by witnesses implicating him nor provided details about who implicated him or attached evidence presented.
The commission has, since the initial notice, given Carrim’s legal team a bundle of documents to consider for his evidence.
Madlanga granted the postponement for him to appear on March 9 and 10.
Carrim faces allegations of influencing senior police officers to assist Matlala’s company Medicare24 with payments of purchase orders in a R360m South African Police Service (SAPS) tender. He is also accused of being an “enabler” between Mchunu and Matlala.
Matlala’s bank records reveal he paid R1.5m to Carrim in February 2025.
Carrim has denied allegations levelled against him. In his court papers, he said Matlala made the payment because he invested R10m in Medicare24, adding there was nothing untoward about the payment.
In his court papers he argued he lost money after investing in Matlala’s company.
Business Day
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