KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has formally withdrawn his earlier allegation that businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala paid money into a bank account linked to former police minister Bheki Cele.
Mkhwanazi told parliament’s ad hoc committee the claim was based on a data analysis error.
But he insisted that the broader body of evidence before the inquiry still points to political interference and corruption in the police service.
Appearing as the committee’s final witness, Mkhwanazi said the incorrect claim stemmed from a misidentification during forensic cellphone analysis. Investigators relied on a contact saved as “Bab Ndosi” — a clan reference associated with Cele — that actually belonged to a different individual whose number differed by a single digit.
“At a glance, the two numbers are almost identical, with a difference of one digit in the middle.
“In analysing and tracing the communication, the system drew a different number because of the confusion,” he told MPs, adding that both the investigative team and Matlala had relied on this incorrect linkage in interpreting the data.
Mkhwanazi said further investigation revealed that the recipient of the funds was an unrelated man in Mpumalanga, who had unknowingly engaged with Matlala after receiving WhatsApp messages containing bank records.
“The owner of the phone number has given a statement where he explains that he received a few WhatsApp messages with bank record statements he did not understand,” he said, explaining that the exchange led to Matlala depositing money into the account.
He added that the error only became apparent once the recipient questioned the interaction, prompting Matlala to realise the mistake and delete the messages.
“It is then that Vusi [Matlala] realised he was talking to the wrong person and asked, ‘Who are you?’ Matlala immediately deleted all the messages he had sent.”
He emphasised that the allegation was withdrawn as soon as the error was identified and formally explained to the committee and investigators.
“It was an error made by the analysis team during the data extraction process. There was no ill intention, and that is why we withdrew upfront,” Mkhwanazi said, noting that affidavits detailing the mistake had been submitted to the committee and the Independent Police Investigative Directorate.
Despite retracting the payment allegation, Mkhwanazi maintained that the relationship between Cele and Matlala remained concerning to investigators, pointing to communication between the two and interactions linked to an SAPS contract.
“What made me believe in the first place that Matlala would have sent money to Cele was the relationship between the two,” he said, adding that internal accounts suggested Cele had been actively involved in efforts to address procurement challenges affecting Matlala’s company.
“We realised there was an effort to make sure that Matlala is assisted to some degree,” he told MPs, further noting that Cele had stayed at accommodation linked to the businessman.
Mkhwanazi in his testimony reiterated broader allegations of political interference, particularly regarding the disbandment of the political killings task team, which he said had been improperly influenced.
“I believe the minister was captured to end up writing that letter,” he said of suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu, maintaining that forensic evidence shows Mchunu authored the directive that dissolved the unit.
He argued that the decision had far-reaching operational consequences, including disrupting investigations, weakening crime intelligence structures and halting key policing functions linked to organised crime probes.
He also presented a handwritten letter, allegedly by a former cellmate of Matlala, which he said contained detailed claims about relationships between the business person and senior political and law enforcement figures.
While acknowledging that the document constitutes hearsay, Mkhwanazi said aspects of the information appear credible due to the inclusion of details not previously in the public domain.
“This person wrote things that have not been made public … that made me believe this person is [legitimate],” he said, adding that the claims warrant further investigation by authorities.
Addressing discrepancies in earlier testimony, Mkhwanazi rejected claims that a meeting between himself, Matlala and former Hawks head Lesetja Senona in Umhlanga had been improperly concealed, stating that the engagement formed part of an intelligence-gathering operation.
“I did not see the need to disclose the meeting earlier because I had undertaken not to reveal information provided to me by him as an informer,” he said, adding that Matlala had approached him with information relating to organised crime networks and had expressed concerns for his safety.
At the outset of his appearance, Mkhwanazi also criticised the conduct of some MPs, warning that aspects of the inquiry risked being undermined by premature conclusions rather than evidence-based assessment.
“I have been observing, being worried at times by the posture and the attitude that I see from some of the members of parliament, who seem to prejudge things,” he said.
“My understanding is that the committee’s job is to listen to evidence, probe and not make conclusions.”
However, he acknowledged the intensity and scope of the inquiry, commending MPs for the extent of their work.
“I must take my hat off for the committee’s members because … I have never seen parliament work this hard,” he said, as the committee moves towards concluding its investigation into allegations of corruption, political interference and institutional breakdown within the criminal justice system.
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