Puleng Dimpane is a senior South African Police Service (SAPS) official who rose through finance and audit ranks to become the SAPS Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and a Lieutenant General.
Her career has combined financial expertise with public service, and in recent months she has been in the news for testifying before a parliamentary ad hoc committee about the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) funding and other procurement matters.
Bio Data
- Full Name: Puleng Dimpane
- Nationality: South African
- Occupation: Chief Financial Officer (CFO), South African Police Service (SAPS); Lieutenant General.
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in Commerce; Honours degree in Business Administration.
- Career start at SAPS: Joined SAPS in 2007 as Senior Superintendent (Internal Audit).
- Current role: SAPS Chief Financial Officer (since 2018) at rank of Lieutenant General.
Early life and education
Publicly available profiles indicate Puleng Dimpane holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree and an Honours degree in Business Administration. Those academic credentials laid the foundation for her work in internal auditing, financial management and later senior public sector finance roles. Her training in commerce and business administration equipped her to manage complex budgets and to interpret financial controls within a large and operationally focused organization like SAPS.
Early career and entry to SAPS
Dimpane’s career includes experience in internal auditing and provincial-level financial administration. She joined the South African Police Service in senior finance and audit roles and steadily advanced through positions of increasing responsibility. Her early assignments focused on strengthening financial controls, managing provincial administration services, and leading internal audit functions — all roles that build the technical skills required of a CFO in a national police organization.
Rise to Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
In December 2018, Major General Puleng Dimpane was appointed as Chief Financial Officer for the South African Police Service, a role later associated with the rank of Lieutenant General as she advanced. As CFO she became the principal steward of SAPS financial policy, budgeting, and reporting — responsible for assessing whether funds were available for programmes and for advising senior leadership on financial implications of operations and contracts.
Key responsibilities and approach
- Confirming funding availability for projects and initiatives submitted by operational units.
- Advising senior SAPS leadership and the national commissioner on budgetary implications.
- Strengthening internal audit and financial control systems to reduce irregular expenditure.
- Preparing financial submissions and information notes required for parliamentary and ministerial review.
She has repeatedly emphasized the CFO role as financial stewardship — confirming funds and offering recommendations — rather than making operational or procurement decisions herself.
High-profile issues and parliamentary testimony
In late 2025 Puleng Dimpane appeared before an ad hoc parliamentary committee related to allegations around the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) and other procurement matters. During those hearings she disclosed that since its inception the PKTT had received hundreds of millions in funding — figures reported by major news outlets put the total at roughly R435 million — and she outlined that much of the spending went to overtime, accommodation and deployments. Her testimony also emphasized the need for a work-study to determine whether certain temporary structures should become permanent, rather than outright advocating disbandment.
During the same series of hearings and related media coverage, Dimpane distanced herself from decisions around specific tenders and procurement awards. She described herself as not the decision-maker for awarding contracts and expressed frustration when an internal financial information note she prepared was used publicly out of context. Parliamentary reports and news outlets also covered her statements that consequence management within SAPS — mechanisms to discipline or address financial irregularities — was not as effective as it should be.
Controversies and public scrutiny
As CFO of a major national department, Dimpane has been under public and media scrutiny — particularly where high-value expenditures, task teams, and procurement contracts are concerned. Key areas covered in reporting include:
- The size and value-for-money of the PKTT and whether outcomes justify the spending.
- Questions about how internal notes and financial advice were used by political officeholders.
- Media and committee attention on tender awards and whether standard procurement rules were respected.
Leadership style and priorities
From her public statements and professional background, Puleng Dimpane’s priorities appear focused on strengthening systems of financial control and internal audit to reduce irregular spending, improving transparency in how budgets are requested and spent, and ensuring parliamentary oversight receives accurate financial information.
Achievements and legacy
Dimpane’s advancement to CFO and the rank of Lieutenant General is a notable professional achievement: it reflects technical competence, institutional trust, and the ability to navigate a complex organization where finance and operations intersect. Her public testimony and role in high-profile financial reviews have placed her at the core of debates about accountability in policing finance, meaning her impact will be assessed by reforms and any subsequent improvements in financial oversight within SAPS.
FAQs
Who is Puleng Dimpane?
Puleng Dimpane is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the South African Police Service and holds senior rank as a Lieutenant General. She has a background in commerce and business administration and experience in internal audit and provincial finance.
When was she appointed SAPS CFO?
Major General Puleng Dimpane was appointed CFO of SAPS in December 2018
What was said in her recent parliamentary testimony?
She testified that the Political Killings Task Team had consumed significant funds (reported at around R435 million) and clarified that an internal note of hers was used out of context by others.
Is Puleng Dimpane responsible for awarding tenders?
She has publicly distanced herself from awarding certain tenders and described her role as not being the authority that awards contracts.
Conclusion
Puleng Dimpane’s career — from her finance and audit roots to the role of SAPS Chief Financial Officer — reflects the path of a technical public servant managing difficult trade-offs between operational policing needs and financial accountability. Her recent appearances before parliamentary committees have placed her in the public spotlight, highlighting the tension that often arises when large operational budgets, specialized task teams, and political oversight intersect. The effectiveness of reforms and the extent to which accountability mechanisms are strengthened will be key to evaluating her legacy in the years ahead.
