Attempted murder accused Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala has initiated a legal showdown against the state in a bid to be moved back to Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre before his criminal trial.
Matlala is detained at eBongweni Correctional Centre, a super maximum-security prison in Kokstad, KwaZulu-Natal.
He argues in court papers that being in KwaZulu-Natal while facing trial in Gauteng would render the process unfair by not giving him sufficient time to consult his legal team while charges against him mount.
“The supermax facility eBongweni is plus or minus 700km away from the Johannesburg high court as well as Pretoria magistrate‘s court wherein my trial will take place. The high costs associated with this adds an unnecessary burden on me and further hampers my ability to prepare adequately,” Matlala says.
He wants the high court in Pretoria to direct the state to transfer him to the remand detention section of Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Centre, where he was initially remanded before being caught with a phone, or to remain in the C-Max section of the prison.
Department of correctional services national commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale and minister of justice & correctional services Pieter Groenewald intend to oppose the application.
In part B of his application, Matlala seeks an order declaring his detention, as a remand detainee, at the C-Max section of Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre and subsequent transfer to eBongweni inconsistent with the constitution and invalid.
Matlala was moved to the KwaZulu-Natal prison in December 2025 with the department at the time pinning the action on “sensitive” security-related reasons.
“In view of my trial being set down for July 20, I now need to consult my legal team on a continuous basis to prepare my defence on the matter, to interrogate the state’s evidence and to consult with various experts that I intend on calling in my defence,” Matlala contends in his court papers.
“I place on record that it would not be possible to do so while detained at eBongweni for practical logistical challenges and also the conditions therein.
“The high costs associated with the disbursements of transporting my legal team to eBongweni, accommodation and the constant travels therein make this an unaffordable exercise which will ultimately limit my ability to prepare for the trial adequately, which may indirectly render my trial unfair on the basis of my inability to access my legal team so close to my trial.”
Matlala has been charged with the attempted murder of actress Tebogo Thobejane. He faces more counts of attempted murder for the 2022 shooting of taxi boss Joe Sibanyoni and his associates.
Matlala has also been charged with corruption regarding a R360mn tender awarded to his company, Medicare24.
Matlala says that his detention conditions since July 7 at the C-Max in Pretoria after he was found in possession of a cellphone have caused him severe psychological distress.
A clinical psychologist’s report from February, attached in court papers, described Matlala as having symptoms consistent with major depressive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Matlala argues the move to eBongweni also resulted in him not being able to adequately consult his legal team before being interviewed in March by evidence leaders at the Madlanga commission.
Matlala faces allegations of bankrolling officials in the upper echelons of the police service, including deputy national commissioner Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya, at the commission investigating allegations of criminal infiltration in law enforcement.
“I am currently being interviewed by Madlanga commission evidence leaders in preparation for submission of my statement and my appearance at the commission. I confirm that I attended the first interview with the evidence leaders on March 27, which interview was conducted at the C-Max [Pretoria] in the presence of my legal team,” he says in his papers.
“As a result of my transfer back to eBongweni I was unable to prepare timeously for the interview and only consulted with my legal team for two hours prior to the commencement of the interview.”
Matlala was due to appear in the Pretoria magistrate’s court on April 7 but did not do so, causing it to direct the department of correctional services to keep him in Pretoria for his appearance on April 20.
He blames the department for his failure to appear in court.
“I respectfully submit that my continued incarceration at eBongweni has proved to be wholly unmanageable and prejudicial to my ability to prepare my defence as well as in the case of April 7, I was even unable to attend court,” Matlala said.
“The geographical distance, coupled with the restrictive conditions of detention at eBongweni, materially impairs my constitutional right to a fair trial.
“In the absence of the court order I would not have been returned timeously to Kgosi Mampuru ll Correctional Centre and my matter would have been delayed further.”
His appearance was in relation to corruption charges in the police tender.
He will return to the dock on May 13 with 12 police officers.
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