By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Suspended SA Police Services (SAPS) National Commissioner Fannie Masemola is facing fresh scrutiny in Parliament, days after his criminal charges were withdrawn.
Masemola had faced charges under the Public Finance Management Act (PMFA) over alleged inadequate oversight of a controversial multimillion-rand SAPS healthcare contract.
The charges were formally withdrawn by the Pretoria Magistrates Court on Tuesday, 22 Septermber 2026.
The African National Congress (ANC) has proposed that the Ad Hoc Committee make an adverse finding against him.
The Ad Hoc Committee investigating allegations of police corruption continued its report deliberations with more submissions from parties.
The ANC made the submission during the Ad Hoc Committee’s meeting on Wednesday night and wants it’s finding to form part of the committee’s draft report.
The ANC in its submission said that Masemola should have resisted minister of Police Senzo Mchunu’s directive to place a moratorium on crime intelligence appointments.
Mchunu issued a directive on December 31, 2024, halting all recruitment and appointment processes within the South African Police Service (SAPS) Crime Intelligence Division pending further discussions.
The moratorium affected 18 key posts, including six senior managers and provincial heads for Crime Intelligence in KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, and the Western Cape, which critics argued hindered local crime-fighting efforts.
The same directive included the immediate disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT).
ANC MP Khusela Sangoni said that Masemola should have known better and challenged the directive’s unlawfulness.
“He ought to have known and he should know and I’m quite certain that he is aware that that power resides with him. I think it would be very remiss of us not to send a very strong message that is meant to empower accounting officers to resist this political pressure, said Diko.
President Cyril Ramaphosa holds the constitutional and statutory prerogative to decide whether to lift the suspension of Masemola following the formal withdrawal of criminal charges.