Alleged drug cartel member and controversial tenderpreneur Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala was seemingly angered by Police Minister Senzo Mchunu’s decision to initiate a review of the R360-million SAPS tender that was awarded to him in June 2024.
This was revealed in a series of WhatsApp chats between Matlala and Mchunu’s comrade, Brown Mogotsi.
The WhatsApp chats between Matlala and Mogotsi, dating from December 19 to May 14, were beamed on a screen for all to see at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry on Tuesday.
Focus on WhatsApp chats
The South African Police Service’s divisional commissioner for crime intelligence and project leader of the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) political killings task team, Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo, unpacked the WhatsApp chats between Mogotsi and Matlala.
Khumalo was giving his testimony on Tuesday during the public hearings of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into criminality, political interference and corruption in the criminal justice system.
The hearings are taking place at the Brigitte Mabandla Justice College in Pretoria. Retired Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga is chairing the commission.
During his testimony, Khumalo told evidence leader Adv Adila Hassim SC that police obtained the records of the WhatsApp chats on Matlala’s two cellphones after legally seizing the phones during a search and seizure operation at his house last December.
Khumalo analysed the WhatsApp chats for the commission.
He said on March 23, Matlala sent Mogotsi screenshots of a News24 article about National Commissioner of Police Gen Fannie Masemola being ordered to terminate Matlala’s R360-million tender.
Matlala vows to fight back
In the message, Matlala tells Mogotsi that the order to terminate his tender was done under Mchunu’s instruction. And Matlala said: “I will see where to go from here. I am not taking this [lightly].”
On May 14, Matlala sent Mogotsi a message that reads: “My contract was cancelled yesterday. I see you have been ignoring me. You have been promising me things that never happened. I took screenshots in case something like this happened.
He continued: “I am taking this to the media and in court on Friday when I do the interdict… I will fight back and fight very strong…”
Matlala was awarded a R360-million SAPS tender in June 2024.
In July this year, Mchunu said he initiated a review of the SAPS tender awarded to Matlala when suspicions of possible wrongdoing surfaced.
On May 13, Masemola cancelled the tender. This was a day before Matlala was arrested for the attempted murder of his ex-lover Tebogo Thobejane.
Mchunu is currently on special leave.
Earlier, Khumalo said Mogotsi, a North West businessman, was in possession of classified crime intelligence information. He sent the information to Matlala during their chats on WhatsApp.
On Monday, Khumalo said there is a “Big Five” drug cartel in South Africa. It operates nationally and internationally. He said the Big Five drug cartel consists of five individuals. It has its head office in Gauteng.
Gauteng drugs cartel
Khumalo said Matlala and DJ Sumbody murder-accused Katiso “KT” Molefe are members of the drug cartel.
The commission was established by President Cyril Ramaphosa on July 13. This was after KZN police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s explosive media briefing on July 6. During the briefing, he said politicians in parliament, police officers, metro police officers, correctional service officials, prosecutors and members of the judiciary in Gauteng are part of a criminal syndicate in Gauteng. And they are controlled by drug cartels and business people in Gauteng.
The commission continues on Wednesday with Khumalo’s testimony.
