Connections between high-profile figures often reveal hidden alliances that raise serious questions about influence and corruption in South Africa. Edwin Sodi, a businessman facing corruption charges, hosted a lavish 50th birthday party where controversial figure Vusimusi Cat Matlala mingled with influential ANC politicians, including those closely tied to Deputy President Paul Mashatile. This gathering highlighted Matlala's deep links to powerful individuals, even as he faces accusations of fraudulently obtaining an Eswatini identity document and involvement in the mysterious disappearance of businessman Jerry Boshoga, whose fate remains unconfirmed by police. These ties and deceptions paint a picture of a man who navigated elite circles while allegedly building a web of illicit activities, leaving many to wonder how such networks persist unchecked.
The event took place on 24 September 2023 at Sodi's expansive R85 million mansion in Bryanston, a property boasting panoramic views over Sandton and the JOHANNESBURG central business district. The patio served as the venue for an opulent affair, complete with a menu featuring Basotho lamb chops, fillet of beef, line fish with king prawns, and spicy chicken. A professional videographer captured the evening, and social media footage later showed Matlala and his wife Tsakani seated at the main table, just a few spots away from Sodi himself. Among the guests were Keith Khoza, a political advisor and close associate of Mashatile; Lebogang Maile, the current MEC for finance and economic development in Gauteng, whose brother Mike Maile belongs to a group known as the Alex Mafia and shares longstanding ties with Mashatile; Pule Mabe, a former ANC spokesperson and national executive committee member; and TK Nciza, a former ANC Gauteng secretary. Footage specifically placed Mabe next to Matlala, underscoring the proximity of these connections. Although Mashatile was invited, he did not attend, but his absence did little to dispel the perception of his broader links to Sodi, whom he has known since the early 1990s.
Sodi's mansion itself exemplifies the luxury tied to these relationships, spanning 3,500 square meters with features like a gourmet kitchen, five luxury bedroom suites, a cocktail bar, a 12-seater cinema, a games room, a wine cellar, indoor and outdoor pools, a gym, ducted air-conditioning, and garage space for 14 cars. Such extravagance draws from Sodi's business dealings, including contracts worth at least R1 billion from government departments since 2014, notably with the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements.
Reports from a state capture inquiry led by former Chief Justice Raymond Zondo detailed how Sodi used funds from his company, Blackhead Consulting, to make payments to politicians, including about R370,000 to Mashatile's account and millions in donations to the ANC, aimed at securing influence. Maile, present at the party, previously served as MEC for human settlements, a role Mashatile held twice, though no major payments to Sodi occurred during their tenures.
These associations gain added weight in light of allegations from KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who has positioned Matlala as a central figure in efforts to capture police structures through political influence. Mkhwanazi presented evidence, including text messages between Matlala and a political fixer named Brown Mogotsi, suggesting sway over figures like Police Minister Senzo Mchunu. This led to Mchunu's placement on special leave and the establishment of a judicial commission of inquiry. Former Police Minister Bheki Cele admitted to using Matlala's penthouse apartment at The Capital Menlyn Maine in Pretoria on two occasions, arranged via a message from Matlala to the hotel's staff, though Cele denied a close friendship and claimed they met only recently.
Adding to the intrigue is Matlala's alleged fraudulent acquisition of an Eswatini identity document, which has prompted investigations on both sides of the border. Eswatini's National Commissioner of Police, Vusi Manoma Masango, confirmed receiving information from South African authorities that Matlala holds an ID issued by Eswatini's Ministry of Home Affairs. A special team was assembled to probe how this occurred, emphasizing the need to protect the country's sovereignty from exploitation by criminals. The ID lists Matlala under the name Vusimuzi Dlamini, registered as a resident of Motshane, a rural chiefdom 15 kilometers north of Mbabane, with the number 7605286100###. It identifies him as the second-born son of Christinah Thembi Shongwe, a housewife from the area, though her actual second child is a daughter named Vuyisile Shongwe, not Vusimuzi. Shongwe denied any connection, claiming her ID was lost for three months in 2024, suggesting identity theft. The photo on the document matches Matlala's appearance—a light-skinned man with a beard and clean-shaven head—indicating it was issued recently.
Obtaining an Eswatini ID typically requires an unabridged birth certificate proving both parents are citizens, or for foreigners, a lengthy process involving residency proof, good character, economic self-sufficiency, and community acceptance. Matlala's case bypasses these norms, raising questions about manipulation within the system. Local residents in Motshane, including lifelong inhabitants like Sidumo, Sibusiso Nhlengetfwa, and Wakhile Ginindza, have denied knowing him or seeing him in the area. They expressed frustration over the association, urging thorough investigations by both Eswatini and South African authorities to clear their community's name. Suggestions emerged that General Mkhwanazi should personally visit to verify details, highlighting doubts that Matlala ever lived there or integrated into the rural setting.
This deception ties into broader criminal charges against Matlala, who is currently held as a high-risk inmate at Kgosi Mampuru Maximum Prison's C-Max section. Arrested in Midrand on 14 May, he faces accusations of money laundering, conspiracy to commit murder, and orchestrating an attack on his former girlfriend, actress Tebogo Thobejane. Mkhwanazi alleged Matlala attempted to bribe officials to disband a task team investigating him. A recent prison raid uncovered a mobile phone in his possession, sparking an internal probe. Special crimes investigator Mike Bolhuis described Matlala as a highly dangerous individual involved in organized crime, funding operations linked to extortion groups in Mamelodi and elements in the taxi industry, often handling dirty work for government and police insiders.
Police have dismissed social media rumors claiming Boshoga was found deceased, stating the investigation remains sensitive and he has not been located alive or dead. They urged the public to avoid spreading unverified information, noting the trauma it causes his family, including his mother, wife, and children. Boshoga's relatives, including his mother Lily and his sister, have publicly accused Matlala of orchestrating the abduction, citing their shared history as business partners in tender deals and private security companies. The family reported that Boshoga and Dikgale had just secured a major contract when the kidnapping occurred, and in a video, Boshoga mentioned his wife holding the contract payment, pleading with her to use it for the ransom, emphasizing his hard work to earn it. Tensions arose post-incident, with the family ceasing contact with Boshoga's wife due to her alleged lack of cooperation.
Around the same time, the wife and nine-year-old son of Boshoga's business partner Ranti Dikgale—Nqobile Dikgale and her child—were abducted after leaving the Copperleaf Golf and Country Estate in Centurion. They were released weeks later following a substantial ransom payment. A police insider connected their release to the killing of Atteridgeville DJ Rametsi Tladi, known as DJ Tsitso, who was shot six times on 20 December 2024 and died nine days later. The insider suggested Tladi acted as an informant, sharing details about Boshoga's kidnapping and possibly identifying those responsible. Having grown up with Boshoga and treated like a younger brother, Tladi was deeply embedded in underworld networks, often serving as a go-to for information due to his popularity as a DJ. His death reportedly stemmed from this role, and to date, no arrests have been made in the kidnappings or his murder, underscoring the power of those involved.
These events expose a pattern where Matlala's influence allegedly extends to silencing threats and securing advantages. His company's tender win, despite red flags from Deokaran's warnings, allowed a lavish existence now contrasted by his imprisonment. The Eswatini ID mystery adds a layer of international evasion, potentially aiding in hiding assets or identities. Sodi's party, with its mix of politicians and figures like Matlala, illustrates how social gatherings can mask deeper alliances, especially given Sodi's own legal battles, including a corruption trial over a R255 million asbestos tender in the Free State alongside former ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule, and orders to repay profits from a nearly R300 million Rooiwaal Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrade linked to a cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal in May 2023, though the outbreak's source remained inconclusive.
As investigations unfold, including the judicial commission probing police capture and the Eswatini probe into the ID fraud, Matlala's case symbolizes the intersection of politics, business, and crime. Bolhuis warned that Matlala's networks, tied to hitmen and syndicates, pose ongoing risks, even from behind bars. The uncertainty surrounding Boshoga, with police being unable to confirm if he is alive, — hangs over his family, who face not only loss but also fractured relationships and public misinformation. This tale of fraudulent identities, high-society parties, and unresolved disappearances reveals how elite connections can shield questionable actions, eroding trust in institutions meant to protect citizens.
Now that we have seen how filthy rich controversial businesspeople like Edwin Sodi have indirectly connected Cat Matlala to powerful ANC bigwigs like Paul Mashatile, do you see General Mkhwanazi winning the fight against Cat Matlala and Senzo Mchunu?
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