Cat Matlala to testify under subpoena at Madlanga Commission this week
· Citizen
The Madlanga Commission is expected to hear the long‑anticipated testimony of corruption‑accused tenderpreneur Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala this week, after the testimony was brought forward.
Visit betsport.cv for more information.
He has been subpoenaed to appear under oath after his matter relating to an attempted murder charge was postponed until 31 August.
Matlala testimony
Madlanga Commission spokesperson Jeremy Michaels said Matlala is expected to testify before the commission at 9:30am on Monday and continue on Tuesday.
“Mr Matlala first appeared before the Commission on 15 July 2026 but, in terms of a ruling handed down by Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, his testimony was postponed to 1 September 2026. Mr Matlala’s testimony has been brought forward to 17 and 18 August.”
Postponement
In July 2026, the Madlanga Commission reluctantly postponed Matlala’s testimony for the second time following a back-and-forth between the commissioners and his legal team.
The tenderpreneur is at the centre of the commission’s inquiry, which is investigating allegations of political interference, criminality and corruption within the criminal justice system.
At the beginning of the proceedings, Advocate Annelene van den Heever, representing Matlala, presented an application for a postponement on the basis that her client had ongoing legal proceedings against him.
Charges
Matlala is facing multiple serious charges, including 11 counts of attempted murder relating to the failed assassinations of his former partner, Tebogo Thobejane, taxi boss Joe Sibanyoni and music producer Seunkie Mokubung, known as DJ Vettys.
Van den Heever explained on Wednesday that, as a result, it would be difficult for Matlala to address some of the allegations he needs to respond to.
Constitutional rights
She contended that it would lead Matlala to invoke his constitutional right to remain silent and not answer certain questions.
“It’s not in [the commission’s] interest that we present, in piecemeal fashion, answers to questions,” Van den Heever told the commission.
“The fact of the matter is that my client is being made out to be this mastermind by everybody and we respectfully, from our interaction, say that there is a fallacy in that,” she said.
Heated exchange
While the commission’s chairperson Mbuyiseli Madlanga stated that Matlala’s voided plea deal was now “history”, Van den Heever insisted that the legal team still needed to peruse the contents of the negotiations with the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (Idac).
This resulted in a heated exchange between the lawyer and the chairperson, with Madlanga emphasising that he was not interested in the “nitty-gritties” of the issues Matlala can’t testify on at this stage.