Actress Tebogo Thobejane Names Vusi “Cat” Matlala in Babita Deokaran Murder, Links His Wife to Attempt on Her Life
Former Muvhango actress Tebogo Thobejane has filed a sworn witness statement alleging that businessman Vusi “Cat” Matlala — currently behind bars — was involved in the killing of whistleblower Babita Deokaran and the mysterious death of his lawyer friend who had reported him to the South African Revenue Service (Sars).
In the same statement, signed under oath on 18 February, Thobejane further implicated Matlala’s wife, Tsakani, claiming she orchestrated a failed attempt on her life in October 2023 out of jealousy.
Confessions and Suspicious Meetings
Thobejane recounted how Matlala once confided in her that he had ordered a hit.
“He had sent hitmen out, and they missed, and the person was a woman,” she said.
At the time, she did not connect the admission to any specific case. But later, after seeing Matlala’s name in media reports alongside his business partner, Morgan Maumela, she linked his confession to the killing of Babita Deokaran.
According to Thobejane, she accompanied Matlala on a trip to Tembisa. During the drive, he stopped and entered Maumela’s car for a private conversation. Afterwards, they continued to a tavern where Matlala introduced her to three unknown men. Not long after, she said, he appeared deeply unsettled at home.
“I remember him telling me that he was very stressed. I remember him telling me that he had sent hitmen out and they missed, and the person was a woman. I did not respond to him. He then said to me that he was leaving, and he was going to switch off his phone because he did not want people to trace him.”
The Lawyer Who Reported Him to Sars
Thobejane also claims Matlala admitted being enraged with a lawyer friend who had reported him to the tax authorities.
“He was very worried about the Sars issues, and he had told me that his lawyer friend had reported him to Sars. After a few days, I also learnt that his friend had died,” she said.
Although she does not name the lawyer, she connects the incident to Matlala’s broader pattern of using violence to silence perceived threats.
The Attempt on Her Life
The most chilling part of Thobejane’s testimony relates to the shooting that nearly killed her on 17 October 2023. She had been at Signature Restaurant in Morningside Mall with friends, including Serge Cabonge and Natasha, before leaving late that night.
“As we were driving on Brynston Drive at the robots, I heard three gunshots, and the shots were coming from the right side of the car. I was in a state of shock and remained seated without bending or moving forward… I saw [my friend] Japan leaning forward, screaming that she was hit.”
Thobejane survived but believes the shooting was orchestrated by Tsakani Matlala, who, she said, used her position as CEO of CAT Security to access hitmen. She suspected Serge and Natasha may have been involved in spotting her that night.
“I suspect Tsakani to be the person behind the shooting, and since she is a CEO of CAT Security, she might have access to hitmen. I suspect that Serge Cabonge and Natasha might have been spotting me and were in communication with the hitmen,” she said.
After the incident, she fled the country, staying in Dubai, Ghana and Nigeria out of fear for her life.
Arrests After the Shooting
In November 2024, she was informed by the investigating officer that arrests had been made in connection with the attempt on her life.
“When I saw the pictures of the arrested persons, I realised that one of the persons is the same guy that I saw two weeks prior to the shooting at Kwa-Joyce in Alexandra, and he later became known to me as Musa Kekana,” she said.
Business, Betrayal and Jealousy
Tracing her history with Matlala, Thobejane said she first met him in 2021 when he claimed he was going through a divorce. She even introduced him to her then-business associate, Tsakani, as a potential funder. The three first met at Morningside Shopping Centre.
However, she later discovered through Tsakani’s baby daddy, Kabelo, that Tsakani and Matlala began an affair almost immediately.
“Later on, after we broke up with Vusi, I learnt that the day that I, Tsakani and Vusi met was the day that they connected, and the day for our second meeting, they were already sleeping together. This I learnt from Tsakani’s baby daddy, Kabelo…”
This revelation shattered her business partnership with Tsakani and fuelled a bitter rivalry.
Conversations with Serge
Adding to her fears, Thobejane said she confided her suspicions about Matlala to Serge Cabonge, telling him she believed he was behind Deokaran’s murder and the death of his lawyer friend.
“What I know is that every conversation you have with Serge, he records every conversation. I think Serge might have sold the recording to Vusi Matlala, which might have triggered him [to think] that I might have overheard his conversation with the three African males and Morgan and might have fuelled him to want to kill me.”
Hours before the shooting, she had spent time with Serge — another detail that heightened her suspicions.
Whistleblower’s Death Still Under Investigation
Babita Deokaran, who exposed corruption at Tembisa Hospital, was gunned down in 2021 outside her Johannesburg home. Despite arrests of several alleged hitmen, the masterminds behind her murder remain unknown.
To date, no charges have been laid against either Vusi Matlala or his associate, Morgan Maumela, in relation to her killing.
But Thobejane’s testimony adds a dramatic new layer to the case, linking Matlala directly to both Deokaran’s death and other violent crimes
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