President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to investigate claims of corruption, serious mismanagement and irregular spending at North West Transport Investments (NTI) and the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality.
The president signed Proclamation 348 of 2026, giving the SIU powers to recover any money the state or public institutions lost through unlawful actions.
At the same time, official documents from the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry show the state has laid criminal charges against Gauteng businessman Suleiman Carrim for failing to obey a witness summons.
SIU to probe fuel and transport contracts
The SIU will investigate NTI and its wholly owned subsidiary, North West Star (SOC) Limited, as well as Atteridgeville Bus Service, which North West Star owns. Investigators will examine specific contracts, including wholesale fuel supplied by Sentrafor Fuel trading as FuelU, vehicle rental services from an agreement dated 28 July 2023, and commuter bus services under a sub-contractor agreement dated 7 July 2023.
The proclamation also allows the SIU to probe serious mismanagement around how NTI received, processed, approved and paid claims from Tansanat Coachlines, Siggy Investments and the Tansanat Coachlines-Siggy Investments Joint Venture, which won R168 million in transport tenders.
Investigators will check whether these deals broke the law or Treasury rules. They will also look at the actions of the business rescue practitioner appointed to NTI on 21 July 2022, along with NTI employees and agents, to see if anyone gained unfair benefits or caused financial losses.
The SIU will also investigate eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality’s procurement of security and VIP protection services. If investigators find evidence of criminal conduct, the SIU must send its findings to the National Prosecuting Authority and can start civil recovery actions in the High Court or Special Tribunal.
Madlanga Commission files criminal charges
While the SIU begins its financial audit, documents from the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry show serious legal consequences for Carrim. On 14 August the commission decided to lay criminal charges against Carrim for failing to comply with a witness summons. This marks the first time the inquiry has directly laid charges against a summoned person.
Commission chairperson Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga told commission secretary Dr Nolitha Vukusa to file the charges directly. He ruled the inquiry will no longer require Carrim to appear in person and will instead make formal findings based on his earlier evidence from 9 and 10 March.
Carrim had submitted five postponement applications in a row, claiming ill health. He included a collapse at a Sandton gym in April that led to hospitalisation.
Evidence of mall visit during medical exemption
However, during an open hearing on 24 July, evidence leader Advocate Adila Hassim SC presented proof that Carrim spent four hours on a chaperoned trip to a Cape Town mall in Durbanville on 14 July. He visited a Woolworths and a Kauai eatery while his doctors said he was too unwell to testify.
His advocate, Kameel Premhid, argued the criminal referral was too harsh and offered to have Carrim’s treating doctor testify privately. But Justice Madlanga refused further delays after Carrim failed to follow a 29 July ruling that required an independent specialist medical examination.
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Financial links to taxi boss revealed
Evidence at the Madlanga Commission shows complex financial networks linking public tenders to private interests and underworld figures. Evidence leaders identified Carrim and businessman Hangwani “Morgan” Maumela as apparent funders behind Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala, whose company Medicare24 scored an irregular SAPS health-services tender worth about R360 million.
An evidence document traced money transfers from Medicare24 through Tamis Investments to Carrim and North West businessman Oupa “Brown” Mogotsi, as well as over R42 million to an entity linked to Maumela’s sister. During his March testimony, Carrim said Mogotsi and Matlala “played” him out of millions in loan capital.
Commission documents link Carrim’s transport dealings directly to the late Durban taxi boss and security firm owner Jotham “King Mswasi” Msibi. On 18 August evidence leader Advocate Matthew Chaskalson SC presented records from Msibi’s mobile phone showing a joint venture between Carrim’s Siggy Investments and Transnational Coaches tied to subsidised bus contracts.
The phone records revealed payments from the bus operations, including R700 000 paid to taxi association Santaco and R1 million transferred directly into Tucofin, a company where Msibi served as a director.
