After a slow start to proceedings, the trial of alleged underworld figure Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala and his co-accused resumed on Wednesday, with Bidvest security guard Mzamo Cele returning to the witness stand for a second day of testimony and a third day of the trial.
Matlala and his four co-accused, including his wife Tsakani Matlala, entered court armed with notepads after being instructed by the court to make their own notes during proceedings.
The proceedings focused on Cele’s account of the movements of a Ferrari, a Volkswagen Golf 7R and a BMW that allegedly entered the Centurion golf estate on the night of the shooting.
‘There comes another problem’
The defence argued that they could not fully understand Cele’s explanation of how the BMW entered the estate and asked him to sketch the entrance, including two lanes, one for vehicles entering and one for those exiting.
“There comes another problem,” Cele responded.
Representing second accused Tiego Mabusela, Adv Nardus Grovè told Cele the defence was not expecting an accurate illustration.
“Sir, you passed your matric right? We are asking you to do a simple thing, to draw and make it easier for us to understand the series of events. Please sketch the cars, trees, and the parking bays,” Grove said.
Cele, however, refused.
“I do not have a certificate as an artist, or even a photographer. And the fact that I matriculated is none of your business, we are not here to speak about school. I will not do any favour for the defence, I was not raised on favours,” he said.
He further told the court that he had been employed as a security guard, not to carry out measurements within the estate.
“I was hired as a security guard, not as a person to count parking bays or draw or measure the trees in the estate,” he said.
‘They changed details on my statement’
Cele also raised concerns about the statement he gave to police following the incident.
“They changed details on my statement and stamped it. This is a fraud, because I made my statement at 02:33am, the morning of the incident,” Cele told the court.
Judge Cassim Moosa interrupted Cele before he could elaborate further.
“Hold that thought,” the judge told Cele, indicating the matter would be addressed later in the proceedings.
Court adjourned before the parties could begin analysing photographs of the golf estate, which are expected to assist the court in determining where the vehicles entered the estate, where they parked and how they were positioned on the night of the alleged assassination attempt.
The court proceedings will continue on Thursday.
- Bidvest security guard Mzamo Cele refused a defence lawyer’s request to sketch the crime scene during cross-examination in the Johannesburg High Court, citing that he is not an artist and was not raised to do favours.
- Cele is testifying in the trial of alleged underworld figure Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala and co-accused, relating to an assassination attempt on businessman Joe "Ferrari" Sibanyoni at a Centurion golf estate on August 10, 2022.
- The defence requested Cele to draw the entrance and movements of vehicles involved to clarify his testimony, but he declined, stressing his role as a security guard, not an illustrator or measurer.
- Cele alleged that the police altered his original statement from the night of the incident, claiming this constituted fraud; the judge paused the discussion to address it later.
- Court proceedings adjourned before analyzing golf estate photographs, with further testimony and evidence review scheduled to continue the following day.
