Controversial North West businessman Brown Mogotsi has alleged that alleged attempted murder-accused and alleged drug cartel member Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala met with KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi in his Durban house.
Mogotsi said the purpose of the meeting was for “Matlala to get help” from Mkhwanazi regarding the R360-million health tender he was awarded by the South African Police Service (SAPS) in 2024.
This was revealed by Mogotsi when he was testifying on Tuesday at the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference, and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System taking place in Pretoria.
Mogotsi is also police minister Senzo Mchunu’s comrade. Mchunu is currently on special leave.
Registered police informant
During his testimony, Mogotsi said he has been a registered informant of the South African Police Service (SAPS) since 1999.
Mogotsi said he is an agent of SAPS’s crime intelligence unit and has a “handler” called Mazibuko and a “co-handler” whose name he does not want to reveal in public.
He said Matlala called from prison on July 6 2025 that he met with Mkhwanazi in his house. The meeting was to get his “help” on the tender.
“Matlala called me from prison on the day Mkhwanazi held a media briefing. After watching Mkhwanazi’s briefing, Matlala told me he was furious with Mkhwanazi. He said he met Mkhwanazi in his house to discuss the tender he got from SAPS.
Matlala implicated Mkhwanazi
“Matlala said in that very meeting he gave Mkhwanazi money which was a portion that came from his tender money… I believed Matlala when he told me this because at some point I was following Matlala. And I followed him to a place in Durban. At the time I did not know whose place he was going to…,” said Mogotsi.
Matlala’s tender was cancelled by National Commissioner of Police Gen Fannie Masemola in May 2025.
Mogotsi finished reading his witness statement on Tuesday. He will face questions from the commissioners and the evidence leaders on Wednesday.
The commission resumes on Wednesday at 9.30am.
Mogotsi’s testimony is led by the commission’s chief evidence leader, Adv Matthew Chaskalson SC.
The commission is chaired by retired Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga. It is sitting at the Brigitte Mabandla Justice College in Pretoria.
Phase two of the commission
Mogotsi is the testifying under Phase Two of the commission’s work.
Phase One of the commission was to formally place the “untested allegations” by Mkhwanazi before the commission, setting the foundation for the entire inquiry.
Phase One was also about corroborating and substantiating allegations made by Mkhwanazi, but not testing these allegations. Mkhwanazi was the commission’s first witness.
Phase Two of the commission is about giving persons of interest – those implicated in Phase One – the opportunity to place before the commission their version and/or response to the allegations.
This phase will run into the early part of 2026.
Phase Three of the commission is about Mkhwanazi and other key witnesses appearing again to address the perspectives and counter-allegations presented by the implicated persons during Phase Two. And to have their evidence in Phase One tested before the commission.
