Businessman and former ANC North West treasurer Suliman Carrim has defended his planned trip abroad, telling the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court that his doctor encouraged him to travel for spiritual and health reasons while he was struggling with fear, anxiety and panic attacks.
Carrim made the remarks during bail proceedings on Friday, 16 October 2026, a day after he was arrested at OR Tambo International Airport while preparing to leave South Africa for Dubai.
He faces a charge of contravening the Commissions Act following his repeated failure to return to the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry to complete his testimony. The state has questioned his travel plans and raised concerns that he could evade further court proceedings if released on bail.
‘My doctor encouraged me to go’
Taking the witness stand, Carrim said his planned journey was intended to help him recover emotionally and spiritually.
“I was going to the pilgrimage, my doctor encouraged me to go. But I was not going there alone, I had my medication and I was with my wife. He said the trip will make me better because I’ve been living in fear,” he told the court.
Carrim said he had been making similar journeys for years and intended to travel to Saudi Arabia for a religious pilgrimage via Dubai before proceeding to Pakistan, where he said he planned to undertake humanitarian work.
He maintained that his health problems, which he said included blackouts and panic attacks, had affected his ability to participate in the commission’s proceedings.
However, state prosecutor Advocate Donald Shiko challenged his explanation, questioning why his doctor would allegedly encourage international travel but not his return to the commission.
“So, your doctor encouraged you to go on this trip, but he didn’t encourage you to go to the commission?” Shiko asked.
“That’s not what I said. I said he encouraged me to go so I can feel better. I have a condition, I black out and get panic attacks and the commission is aware of this,” Carrim responded.
State raises flight risk concerns
The state opposed Carrim’s release without further verification of information presented during the bail application, including his residential address and travel documents.
The investigating officer reportedly raised concerns about Carrim’s luggage and whether he had a return ticket when he was arrested.
Shiko argued that the circumstances surrounding the arrest suggested Carrim might not have intended to return to South Africa.
“When he was arrested, the complainant did not have a return ticket and he had a lot of bags with him, showing that he had no intentions of coming back,” Shiko told the court.
Carrim disputed the suggestion that he planned to remain abroad. He explained that some of the luggage contained sweets and biscuits for his intended humanitarian activities and insisted that he had planned to return home.
He also maintained that he had undertaken similar trips for approximately 16 years and had always returned to South Africa. His legal team disputed the state’s account of the return ticket, saying the matter needed to be verified.
The state further raised concerns about Carrim’s residential address, telling the court that he was linked to properties in Johannesburg, Cape Town and North West. Prosecutors argued that confirming his address was important when assessing whether he would comply with bail conditions.
Carrim denies previous arrests
During proceedings, the state also referred to previous cases recorded against Carrim by the South African Police Service, saying those matters had been withdrawn.
Shiko said the circumstances surrounding the withdrawals needed to be revisited.
Carrim denied having previously been arrested and said he was unaware of the cases mentioned in court.
“I am not a criminal, I’ve never been arrested. This is the first time I’ve been arrested. It’s the first time I’m hearing that there were cases against me that were withdrawn,” he said.
He also maintained that he had been medically unfit to continue testifying before the Madlanga Commission and claimed he had offered to have his doctor explain his condition to the inquiry.
“If I was fit I would have appeared, all the documents speaking to my health are before the commission. I even offered that my doctor appears to explain my condition but they refused,” Carrim told the court.
Why Carrim is wanted by the Madlanga Commission
Carrim became a person of interest to the Madlanga Commission in October 2025 and was subpoenaed the following month to testify and provide relevant documents.
He appeared before the inquiry on 9 and 10 March 2026 but subsequently failed to return for further hearings scheduled for April, June and July, citing medical reasons.
On 14 August, he also failed to comply with an order requiring him to appear in person or undergo an independent medical assessment.
His evidence is relevant to allegations involving businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala and his company, Medicare24, which was awarded a South African Police Service contract worth approximately R360 million before it was cancelled.
Carrim has been accused of helping Matlala secure payments linked to the contract and acting as an intermediary between Matlala and suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu.
Carrim has disputed the allegations, previously explaining that a R1.5 million payment from Matlala was connected to his investment in Medicare24. The allegations remain distinct from the charge he currently faces in connection with his failure to comply with the commission’s requirements.
Bail proceedings postponed
Carrim told the court that he is a businessman who earns approximately R200,000 a month. He also gave details of his family circumstances during the bail application.
The court postponed the matter to Monday, 19 October 2026, to allow the state to verify documents and information submitted during the proceedings.
Carrim will remain in custody at Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Centre until his next court appearance.
