Attempted murder accused Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala felt “used” when he was arrested on May 14, a day after his R360m SA Police Service (SAPS) tender was cancelled, despite funding police minister Senzo Mchunu’s ANC presidential ambitions in exchange for “protection” from prosecution, a secret witness told the Madlanga commission on Thursday.
The secret witness, identified as witness C, investigated the attempted murder case of actress Tebogo Thobejane, in which Matlala is accused of ordering the hit. Police traced funds from his company bank accounts and linked payments to alleged hitmen Musa Kekana and Tiego Floyd Mabusela.
The witness told the commission that when the investigating team arrested Matlala on May 14, Matlala wanted to have an interview with the police in which he said he wanted to expose his political links because they could not “protect” him.
The allegations made by the witness are key to the commission’s work of investigating criminal infiltration of the SAPS.
He said Matlala told the officers he felt used because Mchunu, his comrade Brown Mogotsi and deputy national commissioner Shadrack Sibiya could not protect him from being arrested by the police. He said Matlala told them he paid about R500,000 towards Mchunu’s ANC presidential ambitions and wanted protection in exchange.
“He indicated that Mchunu had intentions to run for presidency in the ANC,” he said.
He said he was one of the people who were looking to fund the campaign, and started with funding the stay of alleged minister delegates for the ANC January 8 celebrations in Cape Town.
“I jokingly asked if he believed Mchunu would succeed in the presidency campaign. He indicated he did not believe the minister would win the campaign but was afraid of discouraging him,” he said.
After the police raided Matlala’s house on December 6, 2024, the accused said he used his connections within SAPS to identify the investigating team. Matlala said grabbers, car registration verification and the SAPS system were used by Matlala’s police connections to identify the investigating officers.
The witness said Matlala told him he was advised by his links in the police and Mogotsi to open a case of theft of his Rolex watch, Apple iPad and his wife’s watch against the investigators.
The case against the police did not materialise because the SAPS system showed the items were booked as evidence.
He said Matlala was also advised that for the case against the task team to be strong, his wife needed to open an assault case against the police with the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid). The references to Ipid were also traced in Matlala and Mogotsi’s WhatsApp chats by the commission.
The witness said Matlala was not comfortable with his wife opening a false case against the police.
On December 19, the police conducted a raid at Matlala’s company premises in Menlyn. The witness said the police thereafter planned to arrest Matlala, but he went into hiding. He said Matlala told them he had gone to KwaZulu-Natal to visit former police minister Bheki Cele to advise him, because he was facing imminent arrest and Mchunu and Sibiya were not helping him.
“[Matlala] said he had a feeling he was being used to get to [Lt-Gen Dumisani] Khumalo, and that was why he was advised to open a case against PKTT to get through Khumalo.”
Khumalo was managing the political killings task team (PKTT).
The witness said Cele told him it was “not good” to open a false case against the police (a theft case) and should withdraw it.
The witness confirmed the case was withdrawn on December 24.
“During our interaction, I felt Matlala was frustrated. He expected the minister to assist him in stopping the police from investigating him and felt they failed to protect him. He felt he was funding a person who had all the power to protect but did not. [Matlala] said he would expose everything.”
The commission has heard evidence of direct communication between Matlala and Mogotsi, and the commission has not heard direct links or communication that shows Matlala communicated directly with Mchunu.
The hearing continues.
