From luxury airport dreams to police tender scandal: Inside “Cat” Matlala’s empire
Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala spent years building a tender-fuelled empire marked by failed delivery, allegations of procurement fraud and a web of powerful political connections.
Now, new details reveal how the alleged underworld figure tried to push deeper into the private sector with an audacious R70‑million‑a‑year plan for a luxury private terminal at OR Tambo International Airport – all while his name was already tainted by corruption scandals.
Matlala, who is now an awaiting-trial prisoner, has emerged as a central character in KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s explosive claims of police capture, and his fingerprints are all over questionable state tenders. But before circling back to lucrative government contracts, he had his sights set on the skies.
The R70m “Green Lounge” at OR Tambo
News24 has obtained a detailed concept document signed by Matlala, laying out a proposal to Nedbank for an ultra-luxury private terminal at OR Tambo International Airport.
According to the document, Matlala’s controversial firm, CAT VIP Protection, would take over key elements of the airport experience for Nedbank’s wealthiest clients – from pre-boarding checks to fast-tracking them through immigration.
“The Green Lounge, an exclusive, tranquil haven of luxury, efficient, and sustainable, is designed to transform your airport experience. [It is] the epitome of sophistication [and] offers a two-tiered service tailored to cater to the discerning needs of your esteemed clients,” read the document.
It continued:
“Black cardholders will have access to a range of exquisite facilities and amenities, meticulously designed to ensure their comfort and satisfaction. Including a fine-dining experience, fully stocked bar, smoking room, and private showers, as well as sleep pods and discreet private workstations for guests that are always on the go,” it added.
Far from being a simple lounge, the proposal effectively described a private terminal operation that would bypass normal boarding procedures.
“CAT VIP Security, a trusted name and brand within the security industry, will have qualified screeners that will assist with all the check-in requirements in line with civil aviation authorities.”
“This type of service/skill will allow your clients to be fast-tracked through immigration with a dedicated speed service desk available to your VVIP clients. The final step of the VVIP treatment will be that of a luxury vehicle to take the passengers after immigration directly to their plane.”
If the project had gone ahead, Matlala’s personnel would have had unfettered access to one of South Africa’s most sensitive national key points, on both the land and air sides of OR Tambo.
Courting Nedbank’s elite
The pitch to Nedbank was not just on paper. Between June and July 2023, Matlala held repeated meetings with the bank and hosted a site visit and tour of the cargo terminal at OR Tambo with bankers in attendance.
This all unfolded just months after News24 exposed Matlala’s links to the R2.3‑billion Tembisa Hospital scandal, and the illegal use of blue lights by his company. Despite the reputational cloud, he was still trying to position CAT VIP as a “trusted name and brand” in high-end security.
In his proposal, Matlala promised that Nedbank’s upper-echelon clients would enjoy a seamless and pampered journey from kerb to cabin.
“The VVIP client will be greeted by our dedicated valet service, ensuring a seamless arrival at the airport. The vehicles will be safely parked for the duration of the travel. On arrival, they will have curb-side check-in and personalised assistance, the hassle of the traditional check-in procedures and queues will be a thing of the past,” the awaiting-trial prisoner wrote.
He then laid out two costing models: a fee-for-service arrangement where Nedbank paid per client using the lounge, or a flat retainer of R5.7 million per month – effectively around R70 million a year.
“We would suggest that a monthly retainer is considered for the project,” he wrote.
Nedbank walks away
Nedbank, however, did not bite.
In response to questions, the bank said: “Nedbank received a concept proposal for a potential lounge at OR Tambo International Airport from Mr Matlala’s company. Following internal assessment, the proposal was not found to meet our requirements, and the engagement did not progress further.”
With the bank turning him down, the private terminal dream fizzled. And with that door closed, Matlala once again pivoted back to the arena where he had already made his name – and his fortune: state procurement.
Back to tenders: a R360m police health deal
After his flirtation with the banking sector, Matlala returned to empire-building on the public purse.
Early in 2024, another of his companies, Medicare24 Tswane District, bid for and won a R360‑million police health services tender – even though he was already under investigation for procurement corruption by both the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and the Hawks.
His state-sponsored windfall was laid bare by News24 in an investigation titled “9 Lives”, which tracked how he used public money to fund an extravagant lifestyle of Rolls-Royces, designer clothing, cosmetic surgery and mansions, while his company failed to deliver services and left employees unpaid.
The police health tender, like others before it, ultimately collapsed. It was cancelled less than a year after its award, adding to a pattern of failed implementation that has come to define Matlala’s tender empire.
Political orbit: Bheki Cele in the mix
Matlala’s reach was not limited to bureaucrats and bid committees. His orbit extended into the top tiers of political power.
Former police minister Bheki Cele was also a beneficiary of Matlala’s largesse. Cele enjoyed repeated stays in a luxury Pretoria penthouse leased by Matlala, and the pair were said to be in constant contact.
News24 revealed that Cele held a secret meeting with Matlala at Ballito’s plush Zimbali Estate in March last year. The meeting took place in a villa owned by Tembisa Hospital tender boss Morgan Maumela, another central figure in the hospital scandal.
In testimony before a parliamentary ad hoc committee, set up to probe allegations of police capture and political interference in the criminal justice system, Matlala claimed he had directly paid Cele large sums of cash.
He told MPs that he paid Cele R500 000 in tranches, handing over wads of cash in the lobby of an Umhlanga hotel.
Cele was serving as police minister at the time Matlala’s cancelled R360‑million tender was adjudicated and awarded, placing him squarely in the frame of questions about political protection and influence.
A fragile empire built on tenders and access
From a planned airport “Green Lounge” promising discreet luxury and direct transfers to private jets, to a police health tender worth hundreds of millions, Matlala’s business model relied heavily on access – to powerful institutions, strategic spaces and senior politicians.
His tender empire has been marred by alleged fraud, incomplete delivery, non-payment of staff and a lifestyle far removed from the services his companies were meant to provide.
The failed Nedbank deal exposed how close his network came to controlling a slice of OR Tambo International Airport, one of the country’s most tightly guarded facilities. The cancelled police tender and his ties to Bheki Cele and other figures now under scrutiny show just how deeply intertwined his operations were with the state.
For now, the “Green Lounge” remains a concept on paper, the R360‑million contract is dead, and Matlala himself is behind bars – but the full fallout of his dealings, and what they say about capture in South Africa’s policing and procurement systems, is still being uncovered.
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