Controversial Businessman "Cat" Matlala's Company Evicted from Pretoria Offices Over Unpaid Rent
Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, the businessman embroiled in allegations of corruption and criminal infiltration within the South African Police Service (SAPS), has suffered another blow as his company, Medicare24 Tshwane District, faces eviction from its upmarket Pretoria offices due to unpaid rent. The Gauteng High Court in Pretoria issued the order following a legal battle with Menlyn Maine Towers, the property company that owns the office space.
Matlala, who gained notoriety after his company was awarded a R360 million police tender in 2024, is accused of using his wealth to bankroll politicians and high-ranking police officers. The controversial tender was eventually cancelled in May amidst growing scrutiny.
Menlyn Maine Towers took legal action against Medicare24, arguing that the company had failed to meet its rental obligations, accumulating arrears of R258,890 since June 2024. The property company claimed that Matlala's company began experiencing payment difficulties shortly after the lucrative police tender was cancelled.
Judge Colleen Collis presided over the case on Monday and ruled in favour of Menlyn Maine Towers, ordering the immediate eviction of Medicare24 and anyone occupying the premises under its authority. The court order stipulated that "the sheriff of the honourable court be authorised to enforce eviction and be accompanied by South African Police Service if necessary."
In addition to the eviction order, the court granted Menlyn Maine Towers the right to seize Medicare24's moveable property to recover the outstanding rental arrears of R258,890, along with accrued interest.
Matlala's company had a five-year lease agreement with Menlyn Maine Towers, spanning from September 2021 to August 2026. However, the property company alleged that Matlala had breached the terms of the lease by housing his other company, Cat VIP Protection, in the Medicare24 offices without obtaining prior consent. Furthermore, it was claimed that the security company stored firearms at the upmarket office location.
Citing these breaches and the mounting rental arrears, Menlyn Maine Towers decided to cancel the lease agreement in July, just two months after Matlala's arrest on charges of attempted murder. "In an attempt to mitigate its losses, the applicant [Menlyn Maine Towers] cancelled the lease agreement by sending a cancellation letter/notice to vacate to the respondent [Medicare24] in July 2025," the company stated in its court papers. Despite the cancellation notice, Maree Attorneys Inc, representing Menlyn Maine Towers, indicated that Medicare24 had failed to vacate the premises by November 21, prompting the legal action that led to the eviction order.
The eviction adds to Matlala's mounting legal and financial woes. He remains in police custody following his arrest in May on charges of attempted murder, allegations he vehemently denies.
Matlala's name has also surfaced in connection with allegations of criminal infiltration within the SAPS. He testified before parliament's ad hoc committee, stating that he spent approximately R2 million monthly on salaries and other expenses for his various companies.
Testimonies presented before the Madlanga Commission and a parliamentary committee investigating KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi's claims of criminal influence within the justice cluster implicated Matlala as a key figure in a cartel allegedly protected by corrupt police officials. It was alleged that Matlala gained a reputation as a "money tree" and that he made substantial bribe payments to high-ranking police officers to secure the R360 million police tender.
Matlala has vehemently denied all allegations of corruption and criminal activity. He claimed that former minister Bheki Cele was an "extortionist" who demanded R1 million after assisting him in recovering his belongings following a raid by the KwaZulu-Natal political killings team and Gauteng investigators at his security company offices in Menlyn in December 2024. During the raid, police seized firearms registered under Matlala's security company but later returned them to him.
Matlala further admitted to making a payment of R150,000 towards the ANC January 8 celebrations in Cape Town to Brown Mogotsi, who identified himself as a close associate of police minister Senzo Mchunu. Additionally, police allege that Matlala paid businessperson and North West ANC member Suleiman Carrim, also known by Mchunu, R1.5 million for his assistance in securing the SAPS tender.
In his testimony, Matlala portrayed himself as a victim caught in the crossfire of a power struggle involving deputy national commissioner Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya, Mkhwanazi, and police crime intelligence boss Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo.
The eviction of Medicare24 from its Pretoria offices marks another chapter in the ongoing saga surrounding Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala, whose business dealings and alleged connections to corrupt officials continue to be the subject of intense scrutiny and legal battles.
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