A police forensic investigation has recommended that former police minister Bheki Cele face criminal prosecution for unlawful gratification linked to companies tied to Vusimusi "Cat" Matlala, according to reports published by the Sunday Times and Sowetan on 4 October 2026. Investigators reportedly examined bank accounts belonging to Medicare24 Tshwane District and CAT Protection and Security. The audit recorded large cash withdrawals within days of private meetings with Cele.
Medicare24 secured a three year, R360 million contract for health risk management services from the South African Police Service in June 2024, the month Cele left office. The police service later cancelled the award. A sworn statement attributed to Medicare24 Holdings chief executive Michael van Wyk alleges that Matlala transported R200,000 to R400,000 in cash during trips to KwaZulu-Natal to buy political protection against that cancellation.
Cele denied receiving any money and told the Sunday Times that investigators must produce bank receipts rather than verbal claims. He also argued that complimentary penthouse accommodation arranged after his retirement from cabinet did not require parliamentary disclosure. That explanation stands as a personal defence rather than a judicial finding.
The News Definition editorial desk has not had direct sight of the internal document. Compiled reports from The Citizen describe a 370 page audit finalised in April 2026 by the SAPS internal audit and risk and integrity management divisions. Six months have passed since the document was completed, yet no public case number or formal charge sheet has been lodged in court.
A newspaper account of an internal police audit does not constitute a formal indictment. Unlawful gratification remains an unproven allegation until an authorised prosecutor signs a charge sheet and places a docket on a court roll. The decisive test is not an investigative leak, but an official handover to the National Prosecuting Authority.
Public money assigned to police health contracts is once again tied to allegations of political patronage. The bank schedules and audit pages remain shielded behind official silence. Citizens cannot scrutinise police procurement when completed state investigations stay hidden from public view.
* Did SAPS internal audit officially sign the recommendation to prosecute, and does the National Prosecuting Authority now hold the physical file?
* Do the bank withdrawal records from Medicare24 and CAT Protection and Security match the verified dates of the meetings in KwaZulu-Natal?
* Why did an internal forensic audit completed in April 2026 sit without public legal action for six months before surfacing in Sunday newspapers?