Flamboyant Gauteng businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala (49) made a dramatic entrance at the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court on Friday flanked by a large contingent of police officers.
Matlala, who is notorious for his lavish lifestyle and multimillion-rand government contracts, is facing serious charges of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, money laundering, and fraud.
During Friday’s brief court appearance, prosecutors laid out a damning case, leaning heavily on “bank statements and cellphone evidence”.
They revealed that Matlala had “voluntarily handed over his cellphone for investigation”, bolstering their claims against him.
Plan to apply for bail
Matlala, undeterred, plans to apply for bail but is demanding the state provide the “cellphone and bank records” it intends to use as evidence.
This follows his earlier decision to abandon a bail bid in June.
The high-stakes case, now set to move to the Johannesburg High Court, has sparked widespread intrigue, linking Matlala to a 2023 assassination attempt on his ex-girlfriend, actress Tebogo Thobejane, and a “web of alleged corruption involving top politicians”.
The saga began in October 2023 when Thobejane narrowly escaped a “brazen shooting” on the N1 highway near Sandton.
She sustained a foot injury, and a passenger suffered a “severe spinal wound”.
Prosecutors allege Matlala sent chilling WhatsApp messages to hitmen, instructing them to “shoot her in the face so her family doesn’t recognise her”.
These messages, now forming part of “key evidence”, cast Matlala as the alleged mastermind behind the attack.
The plot deepens with Matlala’s alleged involvement in tender irregularities, including a controversial “R360-million SAPS health services deal” in 2024 and the 2021 murder of Thembisa Hospital corruption whistleblower Babita Deokaran.
Syndicate involving politicians
Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, the KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner, made a shocking claim on Sunday, asserting that Matlala is connected to a “syndicate involving senior politicians”, which may include Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and former minister Bheki Cele.
Matlala is currently detained at Kgosi Mampuru’s C-Max prison in Tshwane, while his wife, Tsakani Matlala, secured a R20 000 bail.
Co-accused Musa Kekana and Tiego Floyd Mabusela also remain in custody. A recent prison raid uncovered a “cellphone in Matlala’s cell”, raising serious concerns about prison security.
Magistrate Renier Boshoff postponed the case to August 26, allowing the state and defence to “exchange documents” and facilitating the case’s transfer to the Johannesburg High Court.
As South Africa watches closely, this scandal continues to unravel, promising more twists and turns in this tale of power, betrayal, and corruption.
