Tender tycoon Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala has made serious allegations about the intentions of investigators from the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC), telling the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry that their main target was KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
Testifying on Wednesday, Matlala said investigators wanted to strip Mkhwanazi of his support base before confronting him directly.
According to Matlala, this was the reason investigators were so insistent on gaining access to his cellphone to examine his communications.
He told the commission that investigators accused him of hiding communications with the daughter of national police commissioner, Fannie Masemola, despite maintaining that he did not even know the general had a daughter.
Matlala said he subsequently asked Idac’s senior investigator Suneel Bellochun why investigators were interested in his communications.
“He said they want to strip Mkhwanazi of his support base, and then they will deal with him directly.
“So, they wanted to arrest Masemola and crime intelligence head General Dumisani Khumalo, but they found nothing on my phone,” Matlala testified.
Asked whether he knew why they wanted to do this, Matlala said he did not know.
READ MORE: Andrea Johnson amends original statement on Dumisani Khumalo arrest
His testimony also included a cryptic remark allegedly made by Bellochun during the conversations: “If the mountain does not come to Muhammad, Muhammad will go to the mountain.”
Matlala confirmed that he remembered the statement but said he did not know what it meant.
Bheki Cele another target
In a separate revelation, Matlala alleged that Idac investigators also wanted to charge former police minister Bheki Cele and others with corruption.
He claimed investigators instructed him to fabricate a prior history between himself and Cele to strengthen the corruption case.
Matlala acknowledged giving Cele money (R500 000) but disputed the amounts they wanted to reflect in his Section 204 statement.
“But I did give Cele money, but that money was exaggerated and then, because now, they wanted to charge him with corruption. I remember, even when I refused to take the plea, they were very angry because they said on Friday, they were supposed to go in and arrest him… It was not only him, but now because we are on Mr Cele, he was part of the people who were supposed to be arrested after I take the plea,” Matlala testified.
Andrea Johnson’s disappearing act
Explaining what happened as he travelled to court, Matlala said he misled investigators about his intentions regarding the plea agreement.
“On my way to court, I lied to them and told them I was going to take the plea…” he testified.
Matlala alleged that Idac boss Andrea Johnson then suddenly disappeared from her expected appearance at the commission after he refused to accept the plea deal.
READ: Andrea Johnson: ‘I may have been influenced by investigators’
He suggested that Johnson’s anticipated testimony was dependent on his statement and the version of events investigators wanted included in the proposed agreement.
Matlala told the commission that he refused to agree to what investigators wanted written into the plea agreement.
“Their boss was meant to come here and testify but couldn’t because I did not agree to what they wanted to write on the plea,” he said.
- Tender tycoon Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala accused IDAC investigators of targeting KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi to strip him of his support base before confronting him.
- Matlala said investigators were persistent in accessing his cellphone to find communications linking him to Mkhwanazi and other officials, but no incriminating evidence was found.
- He claimed IDAC wanted to charge former police minister Bheki Cele with corruption and instructed Matlala to fabricate a history between them, despite Matlala admitting to giving Cele R500,000.
- Matlala admitted misleading investigators about accepting a plea deal and alleged that IDAC boss Andrea Johnson disappeared from the commission after he refused the plea agreement.
- He testified that Johnson's expected testimony at the commission was contingent upon his agreement to the plea deal, which he declined because he disagreed with what investigators wanted included.
