A Pretoria magistrate on Wednesday granted businessman Suliman Carrim R100,000 bail on a charge linked to his repeated failure to appear before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry. Carrim is presumed innocent.

Magistrate Marc Curlewis ordered that Carrim's passport be held by the investigating officer and that he report weekly to a police station, according to reports of the ruling. He was arrested at OR Tambo International Airport in mid-October before a flight overseas.

What the court decided

The magistrate weighed the interests of justice against Carrim's right to personal freedom. He accepted that the commission non-compliance was a concern, but said it did not show that Carrim would endanger anyone. "It does not establish that the applicant is likely to endanger the safety of any persons," the magistrate said, according to a report of the ruling.

The State's concerns about Carrim's future attendance were described as valid, but the court was not satisfied they showed he would evade trial under strict conditions. A return ticket had been verified, his home address confirmed, and he was not on parole or in custody on another matter when the application was heard, according to one report.

The court dismissed a State application to reopen the bail proceedings, which cited information from the Musina case and investigations into undisclosed properties. "This court believes that the evidence placed before it by the State will not affect the court's judgment in this matter," Curlewis said, according to a report. He added: "The purpose of a bail application is not to punish the applicant."

The case behind the charge

Carrim is charged with contravening the law governing commissions of inquiry by failing to appear before the Madlanga Commission despite being summonsed. Reports describe a timeline in which a notice was issued on 24 October 2025, he appeared on 9 and 10 March but his testimony was not completed, and he did not return on 16 April, citing medical reasons. He is reported to have missed further summonses in May, June and July.

Carrim told the court he was travelling on a religious pilgrimage. The State argued he was likely to evade trial, citing his missed appearances and his travel plans. Reports differ on his destination, with some saying Dubai and others Saudi Arabia, and on whether he was arrested on 15 or 16 October.

Carrim has told the commission he lost R8.4 million after funding a healthcare company linked to Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala, according to reports of his evidence.

What happens next

Carrim faces a separate case in the Musina Magistrates Court. He is accused of attempted theft of motor vehicles, fraud, uttering and money laundering, in connection with two vehicles belonging to Absa that were allegedly intercepted at the Beitbridge border post in July 2026. He is presumed innocent on those charges too.

His bail proceedings in Musina are scheduled for 30 October. One report says he remains in custody on that matter, so the Pretoria bail does not by itself secure his release. We have not confirmed this with a second source.

Under the Pretoria conditions, reports say Carrim, or his legal representative, must report to the commission within 48 hours of release to arrange his next appearance.