SUSPECTED CRIME BOSS CAT MATLALA GRILLED OVER ALLEGED CASH, POLICE CONTACTS AND INFLUENCE IN STATE
- Mpho Dube
- 17 hours ago
- 3 min read
‘I hate Brown Mogotsi,’ controversial businessman tells Madlanga Commission
By Mpho Dube, Editor-in-Chief
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Suspected crime boss Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala faced tough questions at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry on Monday over allegations that he used cash payments and police contacts to build influence inside state institutions.
The controversial businessman, who has featured prominently in evidence before multiple inquiries into procurement and policing, also launched a scathing attack on alleged political fixer Brown Mogotsi, telling the commission “I actually hate him”.
The commission is probing alleged networks of influence, corruption and criminal activity within state institutions, with a particular focus on relationships between businesspeople, police officials and political actors.
Matlala testified that he first came to know Mogotsi after the South African Police Service raided his home in December 2024.
According to his testimony, Mogotsi contacted him two days after the raid and allegedly claimed to be an official from the office of the Minister of Police. Mogotsi allegedly offered to help Matlala open a case against the police.
“I actually hate him because he caused a lot of problems for me… We stopped communicating after my arrest. I did not terminate the relationship, but we were not the best of buddies,” Matlala told the commission.
He alleged that Mogotsi later requested money, saying it was needed to accommodate people who would investigate the raid.
“When the police came back for the second time, he asked for money, stating that he wanted to get accommodation for people who would be investigating this. I gave him R20,000,” Matlala said.
The businessman said he only discovered the truth about Mogotsi’s identity after meeting former Police Minister Bheki Cele, where he learned Mogotsi was not an official from the minister’s office.
Matlala described the initial raid as traumatic, saying officers wearing balaclavas removed several of his possessions, including his personal firearm, leaving him believing he had been robbed.
The commission also heard testimony linking Matlala to discussions about senior police leadership.
Matlala told commissioners that Cele had informed him that current Police Minister Senzo Mchunu allegedly wanted to remove Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo as head of Crime Intelligence and replace him with Deputy Feroz Khan.
“This is according to Cele, Mchunu wanted to fire Khumalo and replace him with General Khan,” Matlala testified.
The claim adds to mounting scrutiny over alleged political interference in Crime Intelligence and other key SAPS structures.
This is not the first time Matlala has appeared before the Madlanga Commission. In earlier testimony this week he admitted that Hangwani Morgan Maumela was his friend and former business associate, and that Maumela was once a director of his company CAT VIP Protection.
The commission has also heard allegations linking Matlala, Maumela and North West businessman Suleiman Carrim to financial transactions, including an alleged R500,000 payment.
In separate proceedings, Matlala has invoked his right against self-incrimination regarding the multimillion-rand Medicare 24 Tshwane SAPS contract, which is set for trial next month.
Matlala also disclosed a prior conviction for housebreaking and theft, for which he served 18 months.
His testimony has been postponed to 24-25 August to allow his legal team time to consult on more than 2000 pages of evidence.
The Madlanga Commission continues to examine how cash, political connections and alleged fixers may have been used to gain access and influence within the state.
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