By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Caption: Vusi Matlala and his socialite wife Tsakani, who joined him the dock for the brief appearance, with the case adjourned until next month after the defence team asked for access to some sections of the evidence obtained by the state.
The case against the controversial businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala (49) and co-accused has been postponed and will remain in custody.
Matlala and three co-accused appeared at the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court.
He appeared in shackles and was transported under heavy guard to the maximum-security C-Max unit at Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Centre.
Matlala is accused of orchestrating a network of corruption, fraud and violence. Co-accused include his wife, Tsakani Matlala, Musa Kekana (accused number one), and Tiegi Floyd Mabusela, also known as Danny.
He also faces charges related to a 2023 shooting on the N1 near Sandton, during which Thobejane — known for her role in the television drama Muvhango — was shot in the foot. A female passenger was left with a serious spinal injury.
The court appearance drew a large special task force police presence, highlighting the high-profile nature of the case.
The state announced plans to centralise two other pending matters — one in Pretoria West and another in Lyttelton — into the current case. Magistrate Rennie Boshoff postponed proceedings to 26 August.
“All the cases for the accused have been remanded to August 26,” Boshoff said.
Matlala is currently detained at Kgosi Mampuru’s C-Max prison in Tshwane, while his wife, Tsakani, secured a R20 000 bail.
Correctional Services National Commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale confirmed, “Matlala is at the C-Max correctional facility because of a classification. He is classified as high-risk,” “On Sunday morning, we did a surprise search and found a cellphone in his possession.”
At the time, Matlala had been housed in a medium-security section of the prison. Authorities are probing how he obtained the device. It has been handed to the SAPS.
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.
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.
Meanwhile Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka cnofirmed she will investigate the allegations against Mchunu after a complaint was launched by the African Transformation Movement (ATM), which described the police minister’s actions as a “flagrant episode of abuse of power”.
At the heart of the scandal is the collapse of the elite KwaZulu-Natal political killings task team, a unit that had secured over 100 convictions and made breakthroughs linking firearms to a string of high-profile assassinations.
In his complaint, the parliamentarian had urged the Public Protector to investigate Mchunu’s conduct under the Executive Members Ethics Act (EMEA) of 1998.
Zungula contended that Mchunu’s actions breached the Executive Ethics Code, citing the collapse of the effective political killings task team of the SAPS, and alleged ties to criminal elements alleged by Kwazulu-Natal provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, as evidence of misconduct.
In the Public Protector’s response, the Chapter 9 institution stipulated that it would probe the following allegations, including whether Mchunu lied about his relationship with Brown Mogotsi, denying knowledge of the North West politician in a March 2025 parliamentary committee session.
The Public Protector will also probe whether there was a conflict of interest in the awarding of a R360 million SAPS contract to Matlala.
However, the Public Protector’s office told Zungula that due to the several complaints raised by the parliamentarian, the extensive investigation will not be finalised within 30 days as prescribed by Section 3(2) of Executive Members Ethics Act (EMEA).