Alleged crime kingpin and tenderpreneur Vusimuzi ‘Cat' Matlala in court over attempted murder charges
Image: IOL Graphics
'High-risk' controversial tender tycoon and crime accused Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala is expected to appear in the Alexandra Magistrate's Court on Friday morning, following his decision to abandon a bail application last month.
His wife, Tsakani Matlala, was granted bail of R20,000.
Matlala, 49, who is a Pretoria businessman, faces charges of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and money laundering.
He is currently being held at the Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Centre's C-Max unit.
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The Matlalas face charges linked to a high-profile attack on actress and socialite Tebogo Thobejane, who survived a dramatic shooting incident in October 2023 on the N1 highway near Sandton, Johannesburg.
Thobejane, known for her role on the popular television drama Muvhango, was shot in the foot, while a female passenger in the car sustained a serious spinal cord injury.
Matlala's wife, Tsakani, was added to the case in May.
Last month, the court was told that the lawyers on both sides had made a deal before the hearing.
This was because of her health and the fact that she has small children, the prosecutors did not argue against letting her out on bail.
As part of her bail conditions, Tsakani was ordered to surrender her passport, remain in Gauteng, and refrain from contacting witnesses or relatives of the other accused.
Matlala was arrested in Midrand on May 14 following what police described as a high-profile investigation.
Officials say he was behind the hit attempt on Thobejane and helped clean millions in dirty money, including cash from a shady R360 million South African Police Service (SAPS) tender.
Matlala, who used to show off luxury cars, and huge houses, now shares a maximum-security prison with high-profile criminals like convicted killer Thabo Bester.
Recently, a mobile phone was discovered in Matlala's possession during a raid led by Correctional Services National Commissioner Makgothi Samuel Thobakgale at Kgosi Mampuru's C-Max section.
The device was confiscated and handed over to SAPS.
'Cat Matlala is at the C-Max correction facility because of a classification. He is classified as high-risk,' Thobakgale said.
'On Sunday morning, we did a surprise search and found a cellphone in his possession.'
At the time of the discovery, Matlala was being housed in a medium-security section of the prison, referred to as 'local.'
Thobakgale said investigations are ongoing to determine how he accessed the device.
'When we find objects like cellphones in cases that are high-risk like this one, we hand the object over to the South African Police Service, which is what we did immediately,' Thobakgale said.
Matlala has recently been linked to Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu in serious allegations of interference and misconduct within the police service, made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
During a press conference held in Durban on Sunday, Mkhwanazi alleged that Mchunu was the subject of a criminal investigation and implicated in a broader scheme involving corrupt elements within SAPS leadership.
Matlala's company had been awarded a R360-million health services tender from the SAPS. However the tender has since been scrapped.
In May 2025, National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola cancelled the contract, stating that Matlala's firm should not have progressed beyond the initial bidding stage.
Meanwhile, Mchunu has rejected the allegations and denied any connection to Matlala.
simon.majadibodu@iol.co.za
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