MAHIKENG – In the dusty, tender-driven streets of Mahikeng, one name carries more weight than almost any other: Suliman Carrim. Known to locals as "motho wa Supra" (Supra’s person), the 58-year-old businessman and ANC treasurer is arguably the most influential figure in the North West province. However, after years of operating in the "big leagues" of government contracts and political influence, Carrim is facing his most significant challenge yet.
On Friday, August 14, 2026, Carrim is scheduled to return to the Madlanga Commission to face a final reckoning. After multiple postponements citing a heart attack and other health issues—claims that evidence leaders have questioned using geolocation data—a judge has ruled that Carrim must appear in person. He will only be excused if an independent medical specialist formally certifies him as unfit to testify.
Carrim’s journey to the top of the North West’s political and business hierarchy is a story of strategic alliances and family legacy. His grandfather was a supporter of the ANC when the organisation was still banned during the apartheid era, and the family business, a general dealer called Check Out, has been a staple in Mahikeng for decades.
However, it was during the premiership of Supra Mahumapelo that Carrim truly ascended to the "big league." Political insiders credit Mahumapelo with identifying Carrim and helping him secure hundreds of millions of rand in government and municipal contracts, primarily in the security and transport sectors.
Today, Carrim is the registered director of 24 companies, including the security firm Fusion Tactical Team. He is rarely seen without a security detail and is known for an "open-wallet" policy that has seen him fund everything from municipal wellness programmes to buying Mercedes minibuses for political associates.
The R360 Million SAPS Scandal
At the heart of Carrim’s upcoming testimony is a controversial R360 million South African Police Service (SAPS) tender awarded to Medicare24, a company owned by Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala. The contract, intended to provide health risk management services to the police, was declared invalid last year due to massive procurement irregularities.
Carrim has admitted to providing R10 million in funding to Matlala’s company in June 2024, claiming he was misled into believing the tender was legitimate. He told the commission in earlier appearances that he had only received R1.75 million back, resulting in a significant financial loss.
However, evidence leaders are expected to probe much deeper. They are likely to quiz Carrim on suspicious financial flows involving his associates, Vusimuzi Matlala and Brown Mogotsi. Mogotsi has emerged as a particularly controversial figure, with senior police officials accusing him of acting as a middleman between criminal cartels and the office of the suspended police minister, Senzo Mchunu.
The Mchunu Connection
One of the most explosive aspects of the investigation involves Carrim’s alleged relationship with Senzo Mchunu. While Carrim has dismissed claims of a direct relationship as a "joke," Mchunu himself confirmed to a parliamentary committee that he had received a text message from the businessman.
The message reportedly requested that Mchunu delay or stall investigations into the Medicare24 tender. Mchunu stated that he did not respond to the message, but the existence of the text has fueled claims of political influence-peddling at the highest levels of the SAPS.
Carrim claimed that Mogotsi had advised him to misrepresent his relationship with the minister to keep Matlala interested in their business dealings. "It is clear that both of them were playing me," Carrim told the commission. "Much later I realised that Brown was misrepresenting his influence with the minister."
A Polarising Figure in Mahikeng
In his home town of Mahikeng, Carrim is a man who is both feared and admired. To some, he is a selfless community builder who never refuses a request for help. To others, he is a greedy businessman who uses people as stepping stones to gain more power.
“I am not really into politics, but I have never gone to him asking for something and he refused to help me,” one community leader said, speaking on condition of anonymity. However, others spoke of a darker side, where those who fall out of favour with "Suli" find their fortunes vanishing overnight.
The town itself is so small and so reliant on government tenders that few are willing to speak about Carrim on the record. “It’s easy to step on someone’s toes in Mahikeng because all of us rely on tenders,” one resident explained.
The Looming Testimony
As Friday approaches, the pressure on Carrim is mounting. He has been heavily implicated by four key witnesses, including high-ranking police generals Dumisani Khumalo and Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. They have testified about corruption, criminal conduct, and blatant interference in SAPS procurement processes.
The Madlanga Commission’s demand for a physical appearance signals that the time for excuses is over. Whether Carrim is the "selfless builder" his supporters claim or the "influential puppet master" described by his detractors, the truth behind the R360 million tender and the North West’s political machinery is finally about to be laid bare.
For the residents of Mahikeng, the outcome of Friday’s hearing could signal the end of an era. As one former municipal employee put it: "He’s playing in the bigger leagues now, but in the big leagues, the falls are much harder."
