President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane as the acting National police commissioner following the precautionary suspension of General Fannie Masemola. This comes after Masemola appeared in court earlier this week on four counts linked to alleged violations of the Public Finance Management Act.
Addressing the nation from the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Thursday flanked by acting police minister Firoz Cachalia and Dimpane, Ramaphosa said it was vital that the public has trust in the people that the government has appointed.
"In consideration of the seriousness of these charges, I have agreed with General Fannie Masemola that he be deemed to be on precautionary suspension pending the conclusion of the case," said Ramaphosa.
Ramaphosa said Dimpane had close to two decades of experience in the police service and was the divisional commissioner for financial management services. “She has extensive experience in policing, financial management and governance. She has a reputation for professionalism as well as integrity.”
He added that a key area of focus would be dealing with procurement weaknesses in the SAPS supply chain management systems. He said he would not be appointing a commission of inquiry into Masemola's fitness to hold office and instead would let the legal process run its course.
In response to questions from the media, Ramaphosa said it may be argued that there were too many people in acting positions but they had to deal with the issues at hand. “It would have been irresponsible not to fill the position,” he added. He said that he was confident that the senior management of the police would support Dimpane. “They will all rally behind General Dimpane, support her and work with her. We will up the tempo, when it comes to fighting crime.”
Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane has been appointed acting National Police Commissioner after President Cyril Ramaphosa placed General Fannie Masemola on precautionary suspension, following his court appearance on charges linked to alleged violations of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA).
Ramaphosa announced the decision on Thursday in a nationally broadcast address from the Union Buildings in Pretoria, where he was flanked by acting police minister Firoz Cachalia and Dimpane. The move marks a significant leadership shift at the top of the South African Police Service (SAPS) amid mounting pressure over governance, procurement and public confidence in the police.
Masemola appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court earlier this week on four counts related to a controversial R360 million police tender. While he has denied any wrongdoing and insists he is “not guilty” of PFMA-related charges, the case has fuelled calls from civil society and political parties for him to step aside while the legal process unfolds.
Ramaphosa said he and Masemola had agreed that, given the gravity of the allegations, it was necessary to remove him from active duty on a temporary basis.
"In consideration of the seriousness of these charges, I have agreed with General Fannie Masemola that he be deemed to be on precautionary suspension pending the conclusion of the case," said Ramaphosa.
He framed the decision as essential to maintaining public trust in state institutions, particularly in a policing environment already strained by high crime levels and previous scandals involving senior officials.
Ramaphosa said it was vital that South Africans have confidence in those entrusted to lead law enforcement.
Addressing the nation, he stressed that “it was vital that the public has trust in the people that the government has appointed”, linking leadership integrity directly to the state’s ability to tackle crime and corruption.
In Dimpane, the president has turned to an insider with a strong financial and governance background rather than a career operational commander. Before Thursday’s announcement, she served as SAPS’s divisional commissioner for financial management services, a portfolio directly connected to procurement, budgeting and oversight of police spending.
Ramaphosa made it clear that this profile was no coincidence.
Ramaphosa said Dimpane had close to two decades of experience in the police service and was the divisional commissioner for financial management services.
“She has extensive experience in policing, financial management and governance. She has a reputation for professionalism as well as integrity.”
By foregrounding her credentials in financial management and governance, the president signalled that shoring up SAPS’s internal controls – especially around the supply chain – will be one of Dimpane’s core mandates in the acting role.
He added that a key area of focus would be dealing with procurement weaknesses in the SAPS supply chain management systems.
The police’s supply chain management environment has long been flagged by the Auditor-General, Parliament and anti-corruption bodies as a hotspot for irregular expenditure, questionable contracts and alleged collusion between officials and service providers. Masemola’s own charges are rooted in allegations that he failed to act when warned of potential fraud linked to a lucrative police contract.
Against that backdrop, Ramaphosa’s choice of Dimpane appears designed to steady the ship administratively while the Masemola case works its way through the courts. The president also moved to draw a clear line between criminal proceedings and any broader inquiry into Masemola’s leadership.
He said he would not be appointing a commission of inquiry into Masemola's fitness to hold office and instead would let the legal process run its course.
This signals that, for now, Ramaphosa is content to allow the courts and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to test the PFMA allegations without layering an additional political and administrative process on top of the criminal case.
Responding to media questions, the president acknowledged concerns about the growing number of key state posts occupied in an acting capacity – from ministries and boards to senior positions in the security cluster. However, he insisted that leaving the police commissioner’s office vacant was not an option.
In response to questions from the media, Ramaphosa said it may be argued that there were too many people in acting positions but they had to deal with the issues at hand.
“It would have been irresponsible not to fill the position,” he added.
The appointment of an acting commissioner, he argued, was necessary to provide continuity of command and avoid a leadership vacuum in an already pressured organisation.
Ramaphosa also sought to project unity within SAPS’s top structure, emphasising that he expected the senior command to rally behind Dimpane rather than fragment along factional or loyalty lines.
He said that he was confident that the senior management of the police would support Dimpane.
“They will all rally behind General Dimpane, support her and work with her. We will up the tempo, when it comes to fighting crime.”
His comments underscore the dual pressure on Dimpane: she must not only stabilise internal governance and procurement systems, but also sustain – and ideally intensify – the operational fight against crime at a time when public patience with SAPS is wearing thin.
For Masemola, the precautionary suspension means he retains his title but is effectively sidelined from day-to-day decision-making until the PFMA case is resolved. The outcome of that case will likely determine whether he returns to office, is moved elsewhere in the state, or exits the police service altogether.
For Dimpane, the acting appointment represents both an opportunity and a high-stakes test. Her performance in the coming months will be closely watched by Parliament, civil society, police unions and communities across the country, all of whom have a direct interest in the stability and credibility of SAPS leadership.
As the legal process against Masemola unfolds, the presidency is banking on Dimpane’s “professionalism as well as integrity” to reassure the public that the police service is being steered by a steady hand – even as yet another national commissioner steps aside under a cloud of serious allegations.
