After police arrested him on a street in Midrand in May, alleged drug cartel member Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala told police that he was coming from the house of former national commissioner of police Riah Phiyega.
This information was revealed by Witness C on Thursday at the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System taking place at the Brigitte Mabandla Justice College in Pretoria.
The commission is chaired by retired Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga.
Thursday’s proceedings were held partially in camera because Witness C was testifying remotely and off camera. Witness C’s name has been withheld to protect his identity.
Witness C said he is a member of the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) SAPS political killings task team (PKTT). He is also a certified forensic investigator specialising in fraud and corruption investigations.
Obtained warrant of arrest
He said he joined the PKTT in May 2020. On December 2 2024 he was deployed to assist the Gauteng SAPS organised crime unit with its investigations.
His testimony is led by the commission’s evidence leader, Advocate Ofentse Motlhasedi, who is assisted by Adv Mahlape Sello SC, another evidence leader of the commission.
Witness C told the commission that on May 13 2025 he went to the Randburg Magistrate’s Court to apply for a warrant of arrest for Matlala.
He said the warrant was in connection with the October 2023 attempted murder and alleged hit of Matlala’s ex-lover Tebogo Thobejane, a famous TV actress and influencer.
Witness C said police believed that Matlala ordered the hit. He is part of the team investigating Matlala for Thobejane’s attempted murder.
He said after the magistrate granted the warrant of arrest, police proceeded to conduct surveillance on Matlala and arrested him.
“We surveilled him and followed him on 14 May 2025. We saw him proceeding and entering an estate in Midrand. After leaving the estate, his motorcade was driving at a high speed, and we could not catch him.
Followed Matlala after surveilling him
“Fortuitously, as Matlala was driving his Mercedes-Benz at a high speed, he hit a pothole and suffered a puncture. He stopped at a traffic light, and we were able to arrest him on New Road in Midrand. After arresting him, he told us he was coming from the house of Riah Phiyega. We do not pay attention to that because we were focused on arresting him as a suspect,” he said.
Witness C is continuing with his testimony, which he started last week Friday. His testimony was halted because he had to prepare for his academic examinations.
The testimony comes as Matlala (49), his wife Tsakani (36), two alleged hitmen, Musa Kekana (35) and Tiego Floyd Mabusela (47), and Nthabiseng Nzama (23), who is the daughter of Mabusela, have been charged with the attempted murder of Thobejane.
The five are facing various charges, including but not limited to attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, fraud, money laundering and defeating the ends of justice. All in connection with the alleged hit on Thobejane.
During their previous appearance at the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court on October 7, magistrate Renier Boshoff postponed the matter to November 11. This was for the centralisation of two additional dockets received from Pretoria, and to facilitate the transfer of the case to the Johannesburg High Court.
The three counts of attempted murder are in connection with the injuries sustained by Thobejane. Also for the injuries sustained by her friends Anele Malinga and Khumbulani Ncube, from the alleged hit.
Attempted hit on ex-lover
On the night of October 17 2023, the black BMW vehicle that Thobejane, Malinga and Ncube were travelling in was sprayed with a hail of bullets. This happened at the corner of Bryanston and Wilton Drive in Bryanston, Sandton, Johannesburg. The shooting occurred between 10pm and 10.30pm.
Thobejane was shot in the foot, while Malinga was wounded and shot in the spinal cord. Malinga has been left paralysed.
Tsakani and Nzama are out on R20, 000 and R10, 000 bail, respectively.
Kekana, Mabusela, and Matlala remain in police custody. Kekana and Mabusela abandoned their bail applications. While Matlala was denied bail by the Johannesburg High Court on Monday.
The Johannesburg High Court decision comes after Matlala appealed the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court decision that denied him bail in September.
The commission continues.
