SA Police Service (SAPS) deputy national commissioner Lt‑Gen Shadrack Sibiya is said to have received frequent payments from attempted murder accused Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala after he won a tender with the police, a secret witness told the Madlanga commission of inquiry on Friday.
Witness C, whose real identity was not revealed for safety reasons, told the commissioners about a recorded interview the police had with Matlala on December 6 2024, in which Matlala narrated how he bankrolled police officials.
The witness, who is part of the KwaZulu-Natal political killings task team, was tasked with investigating kidnapping cases allegedly orchestrated by Matlala. These included the kidnapping of businessman Jerry Boshoga, who went missing in November 2024.
On December 6 2024, the police conducted a search and seizure operation at Matlala’s house in search of Boshoga.
The detective said that after searching the house they recorded an interview with Matlala in which he told them he had close connections with Sibiya, high-ranking police crime intelligence official Maj-Gen Feroz Khan and police head of organised crime investigation Maj-Gen Richard Shibiri.
The detective said Matlala had confessed, without being asked, that Sibiya and KwaZulu-Natal directorate for priority crime investigation (Hawks) provincial head Maj-Gen Lesetja Senona had assisted his company, Medicare24, to land a three-year SAPS tender to the value of R1.2bn.
In return, according to Matlala, after each payment for the tender a “cut” would go to Sibiya. The bagged money would be taken by a Sgt FE Nkosi, who worked in Sibiya’s office, he said.
“He [Matlala] indicated that after every payment of the tender, a portion goes to Sibiya. He would summon Sergeant Nkosi to collect packages for General Sibiya. Money packages,” he said.
The witness said Matlala had not indicated how Senona and Sibiya assisted him to secure the three-year tender. SAPS said the tender was worth R360m.
Sibiya, during his testimony before the parliamentary ad hoc committee probing criminal syndicate infiltration in the police, said he knew Matlala as a service provider to the SAPS but did not know the exact details of the tender.
The senior officers are yet to testify before the commission.
The witness said Matlala also made payments to Nkosi.
On the day of the search, the detective said Matlala had told them he had been tipped off about the police officers’ movements and had been alerted by Nkosi when they headed to his house.
“Matlala told us he knew we were coming to his house that day and confirmed this by showing us the call history between him and detective sergeant Nkosi from that day.”
When Matlala was asked about Boshoga, the detective said the accused denied involvement in the kidnapping of the businessperson.
He said Matlala had told them he knew Boshoga from 2012 and that they were “engaged in criminal activities”, but Matlala said he “left those things and was now in business”.
The detective said Matlala had told them Boshoga owed people money and was in the “drug business”.
Matlala said he lent Boshoga R5m for a machine to process drugs.
The witness said Matlala had told them Boshoga had a fallout with his business associates, who might have “wanted to harm him”.
The detectives did not find Boshoga at the house but indicated a room there had a torn sheet similar to one in a video of Boshoga that was sent to his family by the kidnappers. The kidnappers initially wanted R60m for his return.
Police national commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola previously testified at the Madlanga commission he had requested for the task team to investigate Matlala because a whistleblower told him no police officer could investigate Boshoga’s case in Gauteng because Matlala was close to Sibiya.
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