By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Judgment on the controversial businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala’s bail application has been reserved until 17 September, and he remains in custody.
Matlala returned to the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court for a continuation of his bail application on Monday.
Matlala, his wife Tsakani and two alleged hitmen, Floyd Mabusela and Musa Kekana, face charges of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
The matter has been postponed to next week Wednesday for the court to deliver its judgment.
During court proceedings, defence lawyer, Advocate Laurence Hodes, tried to poke holes in the state’s affidavit, arguing that the state had failed to link Matlala to the crime through evidence such as fingerprints or firearm ballistics.
Matlala is accused of being the mastermind behind the alleged failed plot to kill his ex-lover, Tebogo Thobejane, in Sandton in 2023.
“The weakness of the state’s case and as regard to the objective, there’s no fingerprints, ballistics, DNA, cell phone records or anything that tie this accused to the commission of any of these offences which we say are not even related to one another and ought not to be joined,” Hodes said.
Matlala pleaded with the court to even consider placing him under house arrest as part of bail condition.
Regarding his personal circumstances, Matlala (49) said he is self-employed as a director of four companies, namely CAT VIP Protection, Lux of Africa Investments, Black AK Trading, and Medi Care 24 Tshwane District.
All four companies are based in Pretoria. Matlala said he makes an income of R250 000 per month from his four businesses.
He also owns a property valued at R6.6-million in Midstream Ridge Estate, Pretoria, as well as a property in Mamelodi East, Pretoria, which is valued at R1.1-million.
According to the state, Matlala has a fraudulent citizenship from Eswatini which he can use to evade trial if granted bail.
“The applicant identified himself on his WhatsApp, one can see in his communication to his wife where he also indicates himself as ‘Dlamini’ – this is very telling, this surname is the same surname that appears on the falsified Eswatini identity card, the fact that he identifies himself as Dlamini.”
“The accused is most definitely a flight risk, given the seriousness of these crimes. He is a danger to the society. The outcry is already apparent.” the prosecutor said.
“Yes, we do not have a smoking gun against the accused, but there is circumstantial evidence this court cannot ignore. I submit that there court should deny him bail.”
The state said Matlala has been arrested 11 times in the past on numerous charges ranging from attempted murder to illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
The state said it will add two more dockets from Pretoria (Lyttleton and Pretoria West) to the current court case of the attempted murder of Thobejane and her two friends, Anele Malinga and Ncube Khumbulani.
Meanwhile the court heard that Thobejane has left the country because she is ‘fearing for her life’ following an attempt on her life.
State prosecutor revealed that Thobejane confirmed to the investigators that she left the country due to safety reasons.
“Ms Thobejane fled the country out of fear for her life and she communicated with the investigating team, last night, indicating that she still fears for her life, that’s why she will not return to South Africa. So her life, has also changed forever after the shooting incident.”
Matlala has previously been linked to irregular multi-million-rand government tenders, including the Tembisa Hospital looting that led to the assassination of whistleblower Babita Deokaran in August 2021.