Tenderpreneur Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala is not doing well in prison.
- According to his lawyer, Matlala no longer understands the charges brought against him.
- He is being held at Kgosi Mampuru C-Max Prison in Pretoria, one of the most notorious correctional facilities in the country.
Solitary confinement in one of South Africa’s most notorious prisons is taking a toll on Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala, a tenderpreneur used to luxury, his legal team told the ad hoc committee investigating police corruption.
They submitted that Matlala’s detention at Kgosi Mampuru C-Max Prison has negatively affected his health and mental capacity to the point where he no longer comprehends some of the charges he faces.
His lawyers have requested that the committee postpone his testimony, which was scheduled for Wednesday.
According to his counsel, Matlhatsi Abram Madira, Matlala had not had enough time to prepare.
The request for postponement came while the committee was hearing testimony from the police’s chief financial officer, Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane.
News24 has seen the letters from Matlala’s lawyers to advocate Norman Arendse, the committee’s evidence leader, in which the request was made.
Madira threatened to approach the courts to interdict the committee from calling Matlala to testify on Wednesday.
“The detention of Mr Matlala in the C-Max prison has negatively affected our client’s health and mental capacity. This is an issue which was also raised during his bail application. During our consultation with Mr Matlala yesterday (Monday), we could pick up that he no longer comprehends some of the issues, and we have noticed that he seemed disoriented,” he said.
“The client has instructed us that his mental capacity is being negatively affected by his incarceration and detention in the C-Max.”
Madira said a postponement would give Matlala sufficient time to prepare.
He added that Matlala was willing to participate in the commission’s hearings and had at all material times engaged and assisted the evidence leaders.
“At times also with grave difficulty as he does not have access to any documents, laptops and making telephonic contact with the person who has some of the document[s] needed.”
Madira said Matlala’s further participation could “only be meaningful if he is afforded an opportunity to properly and adequately prepare himself with the aid of his legal representatives”.
Matlala reserved the right, his lawyer added, to raise any issue “at a later stage and at an appropriate forum should such a need arise”.
He stated that the volume of documents and affidavits provided by the committee, combined with the conditions of his detention, made it impossible for Matlala to be ready to present evidence.
Madira added:
“We, at times, experience difficulties with the network coverage in C-Max, and the infrastructure in C-Max is not conducive to having a productive consultation as there are no proper facilities, and the building itself is not user-friendly to enable us to consult with him for a long time and meet the deadline of tomorrow.”
He said they would proceed with an urgent application to have Matlala’s evidence and Wednesday’s proceedings postponed until they have properly consulted.
Madira gave the committee until 15:00 on Tuesday to respond to their demands.
Committee chairperson Soviet Lekganyane did not address the matter directly but made it clear that the committee would proceed with Matlala’s hearing on Wednesday.
He added that Matlala was not on trial in the parliamentary proceedings.
Lekganyane said:
According to News24 investigations, Matlala was flagged by murdered whistleblower Babita Deokaran for suspicious contracts at Tembisa Hospital.
In June 2024, his company, Medicare24 Tswane District, was awarded a police health services tender worth R360 million despite having zero qualifications, amid allegations of fraud, fronting and collusion.</
Follow Us on Twitter
