Lawyers for alleged drug cartel figure Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala have called for his urgent transfer back to Gauteng, arguing that his continued detention in Kokstad is obstructing their ability to prepare for trial and undermining his right to a fair hearing.
The attempted murder case against Matlala (49), his wife Tsakani (36), alleged hitmen Musa Kekana (35) and Tiego Floyd Mabusela (47), and Nthabiseng Nzama (23), Mabusela’s daughter, was transferred to the Johannesburg High Court for trial preparations.
The charges against the accused involve the attempted murder of Matlala’s former lover, Tebogo Thobejane, a prominent television actress and influencer.
During court proceedings, Matlala’s legal representative, Annetene van Heever, told the court that the defence was struggling to consult meaningfully with their client, who is currently detained at Ebhongweni Correctional Centre in Kokstad, KwaZulu-Natal.
Defence prevented from seeing Matlala
Van Heever said legal teams are forced to fly to Durban, hire a vehicle and drive approximately four hours to reach the facility, only to be granted limited and often obstructed access.
“By the time we reach our client, it takes about an hour just to get to him. Consultations happen behind thick glass, where you can barely hear each other, with other people listening in. Those consultations are also recorded,” she said.
She told the court that access is frequently limited to one or two hours, making it impossible to adequately prepare for pre-trial proceedings.
According to Van Heever, the defence has been prevented from seeing Matlala on several occasions by the Department of Correctional Services, allegedly on the basis that he had appointed different legal representatives.
She further revealed that, on the Saturday night preceding a scheduled consultation, the area commissioner instructed that no one be allowed to see Matlala, stating that only the commissioner could deal with the matter.
“Getting hold of a commissioner is near impossible. Emails go unanswered,” she said.
Matlala’s constitutional rights ‘violated’
Van Heever stressed that while the defence wants the matter to proceed expeditiously, ongoing restrictions are prejudicing Matlala’s constitutional rights.
“If Mr Matlala is returned to Kokstad, we will be effectively barred from proper consultation. Before we can even reach pre-trial, we need full access to our client,” she told the court.
She added that the defence is set to receive approximately a terabyte of new data from the state, which will take extensive time to analyse.
“We are requesting that Mr Matlala be detained at a Gauteng facility where he is accessible to his legal team so we can prepare for trial and obtain proper instructions,” Van Heever said.
Addressing a department’s media statement issued on December 30, 2025, Van Heever acknowledged that the commissioner has the authority, under Section 6 of the Correctional Services Act, to detain an accused at any correctional facility but argued that this discretion must be balanced against the accused’s constitutional right to a fair trial.
“At the end of the day, those rights must prevail,” she said.
