The attempted murder case against alleged drug cartel member Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala and his four co-accused has been transferred to the Johannesburg High Court for trial preparations.
Matlala (49), his wife Tsakani (36), two alleged hitmen, Musa Kekana (35) and Tiego Floyd Mabusela (47), and Nthabiseng Nzama (23), who is Mabusela’s daughter, appeared at the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
They are charged with the attempted murder of Matlala’s ex-lover, Tebogo Thobejane, a famous television actress and influencer.
Matter postponed to January 29
During court proceedings, the matter was transferred to the Johannesburg High Court for trial preparations after two Pretoria dockets were centralised in the current case of the five accused.
The matter was postponed to January 29 in the Johannesburg High Court for the trial preparations to commence.
The five accused are facing various chargesThey include but not limited to attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, fraud, money laundering, and defeating the ends of justice in connection with the alleged hit on Thobejane.
Nzama faces a charge of money laundering. The state alleges that Nzama facilitated fund transfers between accounts, fully aware that the money originated from criminal activity.
Tsakani and Nzama are out on R20, 000 and R10, 000 bail, respectively.
Kekana, Mabusela and Matlala remain in police custody. Kekana and Mabusela abandoned their bail applications, while Matlala was denied bail in October.
The three counts of attempted murder are in connection with the injuries sustained by Thobejane and her friends Anele Malinga and Khumbulani Ncube from the alleged hit.
Conspired to kill ex-lover
The state alleges that the accused committed the various crimes between October 12 2023 and October 17 2023. During this period the accused allegedly conspired to kill Thobejane. The state further alleges that they opened fire on Thobejane and her two friends.
On the night of October 17 2023, Thobejane, Malinga and Ncube were travelling in a black BMW vehicle. It was sprayed with a hail of bullets at the corner of Bryanston and Wilton Drive in Bryanston, Johannesburg. The shooting occurred between 10pm and 10.30pm.
Thobejane was shot in the foot, while Malinga was shot and wounded in the spinal cord, leaving her paralysed.
Out of fear for her life, Thobejane fled the country after the shooting incident. She is currently residing at an undisclosed location abroad.
She has accused Matlala of orchestrating the attempted hit on her life. Matlala has denied any involvement in the shooting of Thobejane.
Two Pretoria dockets have been added to the Thobejane attempted murder case. They relate to the shooting of taxi mogul Joe Sibanyoni in August 2022. He was shot outside the Centurion Golf Estate in Centurion. Also the shooting of Seunkie Mokubong, also known as DJ Vettys, in Pretoria West in January 2024.
The state is expected to charge Matlala and his co-accused with attempted murder. Also with conspiracy to commit murder, both with regard to the Sibanyoni and DJ Vettys shootings.
