Tenderpreneur with alleged links to underworld key figure in Mkhwanazi's explosive allegations
In an unprecedented move, Mkhwanazi held a press briefing in Durban on Sunday where he made several damning allegations against high-ranking police officials and police minister Senzo Mchunu.
Mkhwanazi alleges that Vusumuzi 'Cat' Matlala – a man who scored an almost R400 million police tender is at the centre of a syndicate in Gauteng which has captured organised crime officials.
News24 investigative journalist, Jeff Wicks, has for the past three years followed the murky trail of the tender tycoon for his alleged involvement in the criminal underworld and how he scored multi-million-rand health and police tenders.
Wicks outlines what his investigations into Matlala uncovered.
'He first appeared on our radar in 2022 when we found that he'd been making money through the Tembisa hospital scandal, first exposed by Babita Deokaran. He had five shell companies that were part of a larger extraction syndicate. Mr Matlala reinvented himself midway through last year and ended up getting a R360 million health services tender from the police. Essentially, the same organisation that's investigating him for procurement fraud in the Tembisa matter is now paying him to do their health services.'
Matalala was arrested earlier this year in connection with an alleged hit on his socialite ex-girlfriend, Tebogo Thobejane.
He is expected back in court on Friday.
ALSO READ: ANC notes Mkhwanazi's allegations with grave concern
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The Star
31 minutes ago
- The Star
'I will die for this badge': Who is Lt Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi?
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This comes after an explosive press briefing where he declared he was 'combat ready' to defend the integrity of the badge, even if it cost him his life. According to the SAPS, Mkhwanazi joined the South African Police Service as a student constable in 1993. He rose through the ranks to Lieutenant General in 2011. ''Before being appointed acting provincial commissioner for KwaZulu-Natal, Mkhwanazi occupied several positions within the Service, including head of the Special Task Force (STF), Divisional Commissioner of Human Resource Development, and acting National Commissioner of Police.'' He holds a B-Tech degree in Policing as well as a National Diploma in Police Administration. His words, directed at Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, ignited a national conversation about political interference in law enforcement, sparking intense debate. 'I am combat ready. I will die for this badge. I will not back down,' Mkhwanazi told the media during a press conference in Durban on Sunday. This statement has since gone viral and turned him into a symbol of bravery and resistance for many on social media. At the centre of the storm is a deepening rift between Mkhwanazi and Mchunu, following the controversial disbandment of the KZN political killings task team, a unit that had been investigating high-profile assassinations in the province. Mkhwanazi, who was clad in the brown uniform of the STF and heavily armed with security, claims the task team was disbanded without his consultation and hinted at political interference from individuals close to Mchunu. 'Someone whispered to the minister to remove the team,he didn't consult me or the National Commissioner,' said Mkhwanazi. The fallout is the latest chapter in what observers now describe as a 'dangerous power play' within South Africa's law enforcement hierarchy. Mkhwanazi, who has been wearing his police boots for over 30 years and once held a top position of the acting National Commissioner, has earned a reputation for internal discipline and for publicly confronting institutional rot. His previous decision to suspend crime intelligence boss Richard Mdluli in 2012 for alleged misconduct showcased his willingness to challenge powerful figures. In March this year, Mchunu lodged a formal complaint with the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), accusing Mkhwanazi of interfering in the arrest of a correctional services official with alleged links to a drug cartel. However, Mkhwanazi dismissed the probe as a smear campaign designed to undermine his efforts to tackle politically connected crime networks. 'Every time I touch someone powerful, there is a backlash. This is not the first time they've tried to silence me,' he said. The investigation sparked outrage from police unions and political parties alike. The uMkhonto weSizwe Party, the EFF, and several civic organisations rallied behind Mkhwanazi, with some demanding Mchunu's resignation and the reinstatement of the task team. Mchunu has maintained a cautious tone throughout, recently telling the media. 'The decision on the renewal of Lt Gen Mkhwanazi's contract lies with the National Commissioner, not me.' However, that hasn't stopped speculation that Mchunu and others in senior government circles are lobbying for Mkhwanazi's removal ahead of the end of his term. In a 2024 interview, Mkhwanazi made it clear he believes provincial police commissioners should have more authority to act independently, especially in politically volatile regions like KZN. 'We are not politicians. We are law enforcement. If crime has a political connection, that doesn't mean we stop doing our jobs,' he told the newspaper, Mail & Guardian. Public sentiment is sharply divided. While some civil society leaders have called for calm and institutional accountability, others have rallied behind him as a symbol of resistance against political interference in the SAPS. Forensic investigator Paul O'Sullivan, however, criticised Mkhwanazi's approach. 'I want that man to fall, and the sooner, the better,' citing what he called dangerous grandstanding and factional loyalties.' Mchunu has however denied allegations of political interference made by Mkhwanazi, calling them 'wild' and 'baseless.' Responding to claims that he disbanded the political killings task team and interfered in SAPS operations, Mchunu said: 'I will never allow my integrity, that of the Ministry or SAPS, to be undermined by insinuations made without evidence.' He confirmed that the commissioner's remarks would be reviewed and that appropriate action would be considered: 'All these public statements require an urgent, transparent investigation on a proper platform.' Mchunu reaffirmed his commitment to the rule of law and tackling serious crimes, especially in high-crime provinces like KZN, Gauteng, Eastern Cape, and Western Cape. [email protected] Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel IOL Politics
Mail & Guardian
3 hours ago
- Mail & Guardian
Mbalula confident Mchunu would respond to Mkhwanazi's allegation
ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula. (X) ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula said he was confident Police Minister 'I'm fully confident that he will engage with the leadership of the ANC on the disparaging allegations that have been made. He owes it to the ANC; he doesn't have to be commanded,' Mbalula said at a media briefing on Monday. He spoke a day after Mkhwanazi said at a media Mkhwanazi said on Sunday that Mchunu had ordered the closure of the team formed in 2018 to investigate politically motivated murders in On Monday, Mbalula said Mchunu would brief ANC officials 'as a deployee' of the party. 'But at the end of the day, where action must be taken is in government, it's not in the ANC. And the ANC would like to see action,' Mbalula said. On Sunday, Mchunu accused Mkhwanazi of making 'wild allegations' that required 'an urgent, thorough and transparent investigation, on a proper platform'. 'The minister of police will never allow his integrity, that of the ministry or the SAPS [South African Police Service] at large, to be undermined by insinuations made without evidence or due processes, from anyone, including Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi,' the police minister said. 'We will be reviewing the provincial commissioner's statements and consider appropriate action.' Mbalula said the issues raised by Mkhwanazi must be attended to, and the facts established. He said the party would not defend Mchunu or any of its members implicated in wrongdoing. 'This thing that we are complicit in as a party to the protection of wrongdoing, maybe it happened in the past. At the present moment we're carrying out our renewal project,' Mbalula said. 'We have said that even if you are members of the ANC and you are arrested, you are on the wrong side of the law, you are accused of corruption, you step aside. We are without our former secretary general [Ace Magashule] in the party because we had to put him on a step aside.' The ANC's step-aside rule stipulates that members charged with criminal offences must relinquish their positions until they are cleared of the charges. Mbalula said some South Africans had already decided that Mchunu was guilty, but he still had to tell his side of the story. He added that the country's fight against crime had taken a turn for the better since Mchunu became police minister last year. 'We have been praising the minister and Mkhwanazi [for their performances in their jobs], then, boom, there is a problem between the minister and generals. None of us would say we know.' Mbalula said the issues Mkhwanazi had raised required serious attention and President Cyril Ramaphosa had committed to getting to the bottom of the allegations
The South African
4 hours ago
- The South African
MaMkhize amid Mkhwanazi bombshells: 'Let my silence speak volumes'
MaMkhize – real name Shauwn Mkhize – has seemingly responded to being name-dropped in a series of bombshells made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi and now Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Ian Cameron. This relates to allegations that Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu has ties to criminal gangs and has meddled in police investigations into politically motivated murders. In 2023, MaMkhize – a reality TV star and businesswoman – made headlines for partying with controversial then-police minister Bheki Cele, who has since retired. A day after KZN Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi's bombshell media briefing about Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu, Ian Cameron dropped more damning allegations relating to the minister and his affiliations. The Portfolio Committee on Police chairperson claimed that SARS and police had found 40 firearms in a house raid of MaMkhize's La Lucia home last November. Cameron said in a media briefing on Monday: 'During that raid [of MaMkhize's house], a whole cache of firearms was seized. All of those firearms were registered to a security company belonging to none other than Mr Cat Matlala'. Cameron is referring to mafia businessman Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala, who, Mkhwanazi previously claimed, is believed to have benefited from his relationship with Mchunu. Cameron added that all the firearms had been returned to Matlala despire their call for an inquiry. Like MaMkhize, Matlala has been accused of unlawfully acquiring lucrative government tenders, one of which was a R360 million healthcare deal for the SAPS last year. Matlala is currently facing charges of money laundering as well as attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder based on a 2023 attempted hit on his ex-girlfriend, socialite Tebojo Thobejane. MaMkhize has posted a subtle response to her name trending online amid the drama unfolding between Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi and Senzo Mchunu. 'Let my silence speak volumes', she posted on her Instagram Stories. In recent months, MaMkhize has made headlines over her R40 million SARS tax evasion and the forfeiture and auction of dozens of multi-million rand luxury cars. She has also had her PSL soccer club, Royal AM, sold to pay off her debt. MaMkhize's name topped the trends list after a top SARS official survived an assassination via Instagram: @kwa_mammkhize/ X: @vehicletrackers Last year, MaMkhize's name trended on social media after a SARS official investigating her case escaped an attempted hit. She has also previously been charged with other alleged criminal activity, including fraud, forgery, and bribery. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 . Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp , Facebook , X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
