The ongoing Cat Matlala trial has unveiled a gripping narrative surrounding the hospitalisation and subsequent transfer of accused Musa Kekana, arrested in connection with the murder of Vereeniging engineer Armand Swart. Kekana was admitted to Edenvale Hospital on April 17, 2024, reporting police assault, including suffocation and coughing blood. While handcuffed to a bed and under police guard, hospital staff became increasingly alarmed, fearing an escape attempt or external intervention.
Hospital notes, scrutinized in court, documented "body checks," restricted ward access, and requests for additional security, prompted by staff belief that Kekana had made a phone call soliciting help to be removed from the facility. This created a tense and unusual scene within the medical ward, where doctors and nurses worked amidst heightened security, concerned for their own safety and the patient's custody. Judge Cassim Moosa closely examined these notes, emphasizing the staff's broader fears of outside interference.
A significant point of contention revolves around Kekana's discharge on April 20, 2024, and his subsequent transfer. Sergeant Malekutu Raseala testified that he independently decided to move Kekana to Bramley police cells, asserting it was a standard procedure following medical discharge. However, the defense presented a starkly different account, alleging that Colonel Owen King pressured a doctor to discharge Kekana prematurely and that official documents indicated South Rand Hospital as the correct destination, not Bramley. Raseala denied King's involvement and any knowledge of the South Rand Hospital instruction. Kekana was later moved from Bramley to Alexandra police station due to a water outage.
This "trial-within-a-trial" meticulously examines the circumstances of Kekana's arrest, his treatment at the hospital, and the chain of custody, especially given his accusations of police assault and suffocation. The outcome could significantly impact the evidence presented against him.
The main trial involves Vusimusi 'Cat' Matlala and four co-accused facing 25 serious charges, including alleged attempted murders of actress Tebogo Thobejane, taxi boss Joe Sibanyoni, and music producer Seunkie Mokubung. Colonel King is expected to testify next, a crucial moment to clarify the disputed transfer.
The court seeks to determine whether Kekana's movement was a legitimate police action or a series of questionable decisions that transformed a hospital stay into a potential escape plot scenario, deeply impacting the integrity of the ongoing high-profile criminal proceedings.
