Vusumuzi "Cat" Matlala back in court for alleged Thobejane hit attempt
He cut a sullen picture as he stood in the dock, with both his hands and feet handcuffed. His wife, Tsakani Matlala, stood beside him as a fellow accused in the matter.
Leader of the Umkhonto Wesizwe Party in Gauteng, Able Tau said, 'We believe that Mr Matlala has a lot to answer to and to answer for.'
According Thobejane, in October 2023, she and a friend were driving on the N1 highway near Sandton, Johannesburg, when a hail of bullets suddenly hit their car.
Thobejane was shot in the foot, while her friend sustained a serious spinal cord injury. She has since launched the Botlhale Foundation, which she said was inspired by her survival of the shooting incident.
Apart from the attempted murder charge, Matlala and his wife stand accused of conspiracy to commit murder and attempt to defeat the ends of justice. Musa Kekana (35) and Tiego Floyd Mabusela (47) are the suspected hitmen that Matlala allegedly hired.
Matlala was recently named by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, in an explosive media briefing held last Sunday. Mkhwanazi said Matlala enjoyed political protection because of a link to Police Minister, Senzo Mchunu.
'As MK we are very angry, we believe that this country cannot be handed to criminals, regardless of how much money they have,' said Tau.
Matlala's attempted murder case was postponed to 26 August 2025. He remains in custody for another separate matter that he has been arrested for.
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