CENTURION, GAUTENG – Chilling WhatsApp messages between two of Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala’s alleged henchmen have provided a rare and terrifying glimpse into the inner workings of a criminal syndicate that has terrorised Pretoria.
The leaked conversations, obtained exclusively by the Sunday Times, reveal a cold-blooded plot to kidnap well-known businessman Jerry Boshoga for a staggering R1 million "delivery fee"—a disappearance that remains one of the country's most haunting unsolved mysteries.
The messages, exchanged between Tiego Mabusela and Musa Kekana, detail a "grab and deliver" operation that took place just months before Boshoga vanished from a Centurion KFC in November 2024. Despite multiple ransom demands that started at R60 million and a harrowing video showing him being assaulted, Boshoga has not been seen since.
'Me and U': The R1 Million Plot
The digital trail begins on the night of February 14, 2024. In a series of messages, Mabusela shares a photograph of Boshoga with Kekana. The follow-up message is clinical: “That’s the guy.”
What follows is a negotiation over the price of a human life. Mabusela suggests they charge "the Team" a flat rate of R1 million for the abduction.
“Me and u we tell the Team that it’s 1 million just to grab and deliver him and after 3 days we collect or is it too much [?] … Cause I think 5clipa [R500,000 each] aside for us [is] fine for us … if we are 4 it’s 250k each it’s enough dnt u think?” Mabusela wrote.
Kekana’s response was immediate and devoid of hesitation: “1M is fine I think they be fine with it cause it’s just taking him.”
The henchmen even discussed doing their own background research, with Kekana asking for Boshoga's full name so he could "search for other photos of him on social media" to ensure they had the right target.
The Matlala Connection
Police investigators believe Mabusela and Kekana are key members of a feared gang operating out of Atteridgeville, allegedly used by Matlala to "carry out criminal activity on his behalf." Their digital footprints, uncovered after their phones were confiscated following an arrest in 2024, suggest a relationship with Matlala dating back to at least 2021.
The pair are not just linked to kidnappings. They currently face a litany of charges alongside Matlala, including the attempted murders of taxi boss Joe “Ferrari” Sibanyoni, DJ Vettys (Seunkie Mokubung), and actress Tebogo Thobejane—Matlala’s former girlfriend.
They are also implicated in the high-profile murders of Oupa John Sefoka (DJ Sumbody), Hector Buthelezi (DJ Vintos), and Armand Swart, a Vereeniging engineer reportedly killed in a tragic case of mistaken identity.
The R60 Million Ransom
Jerry Boshoga, a successful "tenderpreneur" who ran a VIP protection firm and a farm, was abducted while attending a business meeting at a KFC in Wierdapark.
The kidnappers' initial demand was astronomical: R60 million.
As the days turned into weeks, the demand fluctuated wildly—dropping to R25 million in Bitcoin, and finally to R10 million. During this time, the family was sent a brutal video of Boshoga being beaten. After the video circulated, the trail went cold.
The case took a dramatic turn during the Madlanga commission of inquiry into corruption in the justice system. A protected witness, known as Witness C, testified that police raided Matlala’s home in December 2024 after receiving a tip-off that Boshoga was being held captive there.
The Clue of the Torn Sheet
While Boshoga was not found during the raid, investigators discovered a haunting piece of evidence: a white sheet with distinctive torn edges tied to a window.
“And that white sheet, it is distinctive because when one of the videos for the ransom was sent to the family of Mr Jerry Boshoga [the sheet was visible in the footage], and we could see that the sheet [in the room] resembled the [one in the video],” Witness C told the commission.
Despite this, Matlala has steadfastly denied any involvement. In a tense appearance before Parliament’s ad hoc committee, he claimed Boshoga was a friend to whom he had lent R5 million for a "drug-processing machine." He accused the police of misleading Boshoga’s mother and wife to frame him.
“I will say that they are misleading her,” Matlala told the committee. “I think the people who are misleading her are the people who put me in prison… I was the first person who was looking for Jerry everywhere.”
'Challenges' in the Investigation
The search for Boshoga has been hampered by internal police dynamics. Crime Intelligence boss Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo admitted to Parliament in January that the investigation had faced "challenges."
The case was reportedly reallocated by Deputy National Commissioner Gen Shadrack Sibiya to a different team shortly after the initial operation. However, National Commissioner Fannie Masemola has recently directed the original team to resume the investigation in hopes of finally finding the missing businessman.
For the Boshoga family, the wait for answers continues. For the rest of Pretoria, the leaked WhatsApps serve as a grim reminder of how easily a life can be reduced to a "5clipa" transaction in the city's dark underbelly.
Table: The Web of Charges Against the Matlala Syndicate
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Category
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Targets/Victims
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Key Suspects
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Kidnapping
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Jerry Boshoga (Missing)
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Matlala, Mabusela, Kekana
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Attempted Murder
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Tebogo Thobejane, Joe Sibanyoni, DJ Vettys
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Matlala, Mabusela, Kekana
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Murder
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DJ Sumbody, DJ Vintos, Armand Swart
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Matlala, Mabusela, Kekana, Katiso Molefe
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Crimes Alleged
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Extortion, Contract Killings, Kidnapping
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Atteridgeville Gang
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