The Johannesburg High Court has denied bail to alleged drug cartel member Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala.
Acting Judge Pieter du Plessis delivered the judgment electronically on Monday.
The ruling comes after Matlala appealed the September bail denial from the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court.
The Johannesburg High Court heard Matlala’s appeal for bail last Monday. The National Prosecuting Authority, on behalf of the state, opposed Matlala’s bail appeal application.
He filed an appeal after being accused of attempting to kill Tebogo Thobejane, a well-known influencer and television actress, in October 2023.
“In balancing the reasons for the refusal of bail with the Section 60 [9] [a-g] CPA [Criminal Procedure Act] factors, weighing the interests of justice against the right of the appellant [Matlala] to his personal freedom and in particular the prejudice he is likely to suffer, I conclude that on a balance of probability the interest of justice will not be served by the release of the appellant.
“The appeal against the denial of bail by the court a quo is dismissed,” said Du Plessis.
Centralisation of dockets
Matlala (49), his wife Tsakani (36), two suspected hitmen, Tiego Floyd Mabusela (47) and Musa Kekana (35), as well as Mabusela’s daughter, Nthabiseng Nzama (23), have been charged with Thobejane’s attempted murder.
The five defendants are charged with a number of offences related to the alleged hit on Thobejane, including but not limited to attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, fraud, money laundering, and defeating the ends of justice.
Nzama allegedly enabled money transfers between accounts while being fully aware that the funds came from illegal activity, according to the state.
During their previous appearance at the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court on October 7, presiding officer Renier Boshoff postponed the matter to November 11 for the centralisation of two additional dockets received from Pretoria and to facilitate the transfer of the case to the Johannesburg High Court.
The two Pretoria dockets are related to the shootings of Seunkie Mokubong, better known as DJ Vettys, in Pretoria West in January 2024 and taxi tycoon Joe Sibanyoni outside the Centurion Golf Estate in August 2022.
It is anticipated that the state will charge Matlala and his co-accused with attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder in connection with the shootings of Sibanyoni and DJ Vettys.
Nzama and Tsakani have been released on R10 000 and R20 000 bail, respectively.
Kekana, Mabusela and Matlala remain under police custody. Kekana and Mabusela abandoned their bail applications.
Alleged hit on Thobejane
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.
The state alleges that the accused committed the various crimes between October 12, 2023, and October 17, 2023, during which 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, a black BMW that Thobejane, Malinga, and Ncube were traveling in was sprayed with a hail of bullets at the corner of Bryanston and Wilton Drives in Bryanston, Sandton. The shooting took place between 10pm and 10.30pm.
Thobejane was shot in the foot, while Malinga was wounded in the spinal cord, leaving her paralysed.
Out of fear for her life, Thobejane fled the country after the shooting incident and is currently residing at an undisclosed location abroad.
She has accused Matlala of orchestrating the alleged hit; however, Matlala has denied any involvement in the shooting.
Meanwhile, in September, national crime intelligence head Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo told the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference, and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System that Matlala is part of a drug cartel known as the Big Five.
