The investigation into the attempted murder of actress Tebogo Thobejane in 2023 has taken a startling turn, potentially linking the crime to a string of other high-profile incidents, including the unsolved murder of popular DJ Sumbody and the attack on taxi boss Joe Sibanyoni. The common thread? A single firearm, or so the preliminary ballistic evidence suggests.
Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, a controversial JOHANNESBURG businessman, is at the center of this complex web. He, along with his lover Tsakani, and suspected hitmen Tlego Floyd Mabusela and Musa Kekana, appeared in court in Alexandra in connection with the attempt on Thobejane’s life. The state prosecutor indicated their intention to add further charges, referencing dockets in Pretoria West and Lyttleton. The Lyttleton docket reportedly pertains to the Sibanyoni case.
Sources close to the investigation reveal that shell casings recovered from the scene of Thobejane’s shooting on the N1 highway may match those found at the scenes where DJ Sumbody was killed and Sibanyoni was attacked outside the Centurion Golf Estate in 2022. If confirmed, this would suggest that the same weapon was used in all three incidents.
Adding another layer of intrigue, police insiders claim that Matlala's personal firearms, which were previously confiscated by the police, have since been returned to him. However, it's believed that the firearms being examined are not among those. The weapons retrieved from the suspected hitmen are reportedly linked to a separate case: the murder of engineer Armand Swart in Vereeniging in April 2024. Mabusela, Kekana, and a former detective, Michael Pule Tau, are allegedly implicated in Swart's death, reportedly hired and paid handsomely to fatally silence a factory whistleblower who exposed massive price inflation on Transnet Freight Rail contracts.
Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, the KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner, has made explosive allegations, claiming that Matlala is part of a syndicate involving senior politicians. He further alleged that Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has interfered with police operations and maintains contact with criminal syndicates like Matlala's. Mkhwanazi also accused Mchunu of ordering the disbandment of the political killings task team in March 2025 and the withdrawal of 121 active dockets, many related to political assassinations.
Mkhwanazi stated that after two firearms were discovered following the death of Swart, the AK-47 and a pistol which were used to kill Swart were taken for ballistic testing to determine if the firearms had been used to commit other murder cases in the past.
According to Mkhwanazi, these dockets, including five with instructions for the perpetrators' arrest, are now sitting idle in Sibiya's office. Mkhwanazi presented internal SAPS communications, WhatsApp messages, and forensic cellphone data as evidence of a coordinated effort to shut down the unit. He also claimed that Mogotsi had direct contact with individuals under investigation, including Matlala, who was awarded a R360 million police contract in 2024.
Matlala, currently incarcerated at Kgosi Mampuru C-Max prison in Pretoria, faces numerous charges, including attempted murder, conspiracy, money laundering, and fraud. Prosecutors have presented bank statements and cellphone evidence allegedly linking him to the attempt on Thobejane’s life. Court records reveal that Matlala allegedly sent disturbing WhatsApp messages to hired gunmen, instructing them to inflict maximum harm on Thobejane.
The implications of this case extend beyond the shooting of a celebrity. The same gun used to try to kill Thobejane may have been used in the death of DJ Sumbody and the attack on Sibanyoni. Matlala's connections to tender irregularities and alleged links to senior politicians, including Mchunu and ex-minister Bheki Cele, are also under scrutiny.
The attempted murder of Thobejane occurred in October 2023. DJ Sumbody was killed in a hail of bullets in Woodmead, JOHANNESBURG, months earlier. Sibanyoni was attacked in a similar manner. A prison raid uncovered a cellphone in Matlala’s cell, raising concerns about ongoing communication between suspects and potential accomplices.
Adding another layer of complexity, DJ Sumbody's Ayepyep Lifestyle Lounge in Cape Town is connected to Ralph Stanfield, an alleged gang boss. Stanfield and his wife, Nicole Johnson, were accused of trying to dominate the venue, with allegations that Stanfield was involved in handling security and that gangsters targeted the venue.
A ransom of R60 million was initially demanded, later reduced to R10 million. Around the time of Boshoga's kidnapping, the wife and son of his business partner, Ranti Dikgale, were also kidnapped.
Rametsi "Tsitso" Tladi, an Atteridgeville DJ, was murdered after allegedly providing information about Boshoga's kidnapping. Tladi was reportedly close to Boshoga and knew a lot about the underworld.
National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola has described the scandal as "unprecedented" and said it strikes at the heart of the police. President Cyril Ramaphosa has put Mchunu on special leave and has launched a judicial commission of inquiry, which fellow politicians and members of the public believe is a tactic to merely buy time and let the case suffer a natural death.
Mkhwanazi has alleged that a high-level criminal syndicate is operating in South Africa, extending into the SAPS, the Police Ministry, Parliament, prison officials, the judiciary, and other law-enforcement authorities. He also claimed that a "drug cartel" headquartered in Gauteng is controlling the syndicate.
Mkhwanazi referred to the 2024 murder of Swart in Vereeniging during his press briefing. He stated that a ballistics expert linked the firearms used in Swart's murder to a number of high-profile cases, including the shooting of high-profile South African artists. He did not name the artists but said suspects in the cases were known and decisions to prosecute them needed to be made.
Mkhwanazi claimed that Mchunu ordered the disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team to shield politically connected members of a criminal syndicate from prosecution. Mchunu has denied the allegations.
The murder of Babita Deokaran in August 2021 is also relevant to this complex web. Deokaran, a whistleblower, had flagged Matlala over contracts linked to Tembisa Hospital in Gauteng. Her death was linked to a corrupt COVID-19 PPE procurement scandal within the Gauteng Provincial Department of Health.
Deokaran had been on special leave for more than a year prior to her death whilst the investigation was underway.
A neighbour informed the police that he had seen a suspicious BMW at the murder location multiple times before the event. This information enabled the authorities to trace the vehicle to a former member of the South African National Defence Force living in the Pretoria area and resulted in the arrest of six suspects.
The Sunday Times reported that Deokaran had been stalked and observed by her alleged assassins for more than a month prior to her death. The Sunday Times report also stated that CCTV cameras in the area had been mysteriously disabled just prior to the assassination whilst sophisticated surveillance software might have been used to monitor Deokaran's mobile phone and track her movements. These details reveal how determined Deokaran's enemies were in making sure that she dies at whatever cost. The details also reveal how well coordinated and resourced those behind her death were.
These events paint a disturbing picture of corruption, gangsterism, and political interference within South Africa's criminal justice system. The alleged connections between Matlala, senior politicians, and a string of high-profile crimes raise serious questions about the integrity of the police and the rule of law.
Next month, Vusi Cat Matlala will be back in court for bail application. Should he be granted bail, since they say one is always innocent until found guilty?
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