Key facts
- Businessman Vusimusi "Cat" Matlala is expected to testify at South Africa's inquiry into alleged police corruption.
- Matlala is accused of providing gifts and loans to secure police contracts.
- He has a criminal record, including a conviction for possession of stolen goods.
- Allegations link Matlala to senior police officials, including former minister Bheki Cele and suspended deputy chief Shadrack Sibiya.
- Two senior officers, Brig Rachel Matjeng and Maj-Gen Richard Shibiri, have been dismissed from the police force.
Vusimusi "Cat" Matlala, a businessman accused of using gifts and personal loans to secure police contracts, is expected to testify before South Africa's inquiry into alleged police corruption. The Madlanga Commission, ongoing for 10 months, has heard numerous allegations against Matlala, including supplying 20 impalas, the drug Ozempic, and financial assistance to senior police officials.
Matlala, 49, has been in police custody for over a year in connection with a separate attempted murder charge, which he denies. He previously appeared before a parliamentary inquiry last November, where he denied corruption allegations but admitted to making donations to the African National Congress (ANC). He stated he did not know senior police officers or politicians personally.
His early life was marked by hardship; he described himself as a "street kid" who had to raise himself after his mother disappeared. He reunited with her in 2002 before her death. Matlala has a history of legal issues, including a conviction for possession of stolen goods in 2001, and has faced numerous other charges, though he was often acquitted or had charges withdrawn.
Allegations at the Madlanga Commission suggest Matlala had corrupt relationships with senior police officers. This includes claims that former Police Minister Senzo Mchunu indirectly received campaign funding from Matlala, which Mchunu denies. Matlala also alleged that Bheki Cele, Mchunu's predecessor, demanded a 500,000 rand "facilitation fee" after firearms were returned to Matlala, along with other requests that Matlala refused.
The inquiry has also examined Matlala's relationship with suspended deputy police chief Maj-Gen Shadrack Sibiya, with allegations that Sibiya received impalas from Matlala around the time a police contract was awarded. Both have denied a close relationship.
Further testimony implicated Brig Rachel Matjeng, who oversaw the controversial contract, in an on-off romantic relationship with Matlala that included gifts of Ozempic. Maj-Gen Richard Shibiri admitted to receiving a $4,000 personal loan from Matlala for car repairs, which he repaid, while denying a close friendship.
Julius Mkhwanazi, former acting police chief in Ekurhuleni, is also under scrutiny for allegedly arranging for sirens to be fitted on Matlala's vehicles, though he denied the allegations while admitting to receiving money from Matlala and calling him a "blood brother". Many South Africans are eager for Matlala's testimony to shed light on the extent of the alleged corruption.