Alleged crime boss Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala has told the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry that investigators from the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) inserted false information into his Section 204 witness statement to manufacture a history between him, former Police Minister Bheki Cele and the late taxi boss Jotham “King Mswazi” Msibi.
Matlala alleged that the move formed part of a broader plan to implicate individuals perceived to be supporters of KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, with the ultimate aim of removing him from office and potentially having him jailed.
According to Matlala, the alleged plan targeted people he believed were regarded as part of Mkhwanazi’s support base, including National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola, Crime Intelligence Head Dumisani Khumalo and former Police Minister Cele.
Masemola and Khumalo have faced criminal charges, which have since been withdrawn. The circumstances surrounding the investigations and allegations against senior police officials have also come under scrutiny at the Madlanga Commission.
Matlala was testifying on Wednesday when he was questioned about paragraphs contained in a witness statement prepared during plea negotiations with IDAC earlier this year.
The statement, which carries his signature, claims that he had known Cele for an extended period, had previously seen him visiting the late Msibi and had been told by Msibi that he was giving Cele substantial amounts of money.
However, Matlala disputed the contents, alleging that investigators had deliberately inserted the information to create a false narrative.
“The first time I met him was on the 23rd of December 2024. This entire paragraph was inserted by IDAC. Yes, they wanted to create a history,” Matlala told the Commission.
Matlala explains how he first met Cele
Giving his version of events, Matlala said his first meeting with Cele took place on 23 December 2024 at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Durban.
He said the meeting had been arranged through an intermediary known as Mabonga.
Matlala maintained that, before that encounter, he had only seen Cele once, at Msibi’s funeral, but had never spoken to him.
He alleged that IDAC investigators wanted the statement to suggest that he and Cele had a longer-standing relationship through Msibi, which would make his subsequent approach to the former minister appear more credible.
“These guys from IDAC said, ‘No, this won’t be sufficient. We need to create a history as if you used to see him with Mr Msibi before. That’s why you were so comfortable going to him, because even though you never spoke, you have met before.’ So that’s why they ended up putting this paragraph here,” he said.
Matlala further alleged that investigators wanted to establish a connection between Cele and Msibi that could be used to support corruption allegations.
Matlala admits giving Cele money but disputes the amount
During his testimony, Matlala acknowledged that he had given Cele money but disputed the amount recorded in the statement.
He alleged that the figure had been exaggerated to strengthen a potential corruption case against the former police minister.
“I did give Mr Cele money, but that money was exaggerated… because now they wanted to charge him with corruption,” Matlala said.
He claimed that Cele was among several individuals IDAC intended to arrest following the conclusion of the proposed plea agreement.
Matlala further alleged that investigators became angry when he refused to accept the proposed 12-year plea deal because they had already planned to arrest Cele that Friday.
“I remember even when I refused to take the plea, they were very angry because they said on Friday they were supposed to go and arrest him. So now they couldn’t because of that,” he told the Commission.
Matlala makes claims about Andrea Johnson
Matlala also implicated former IDAC head Andrea Johnson in his account of the failed plea negotiations.
He alleged that Johnson had been relying on his witness statement to support her planned testimony before the Madlanga Commission.
According to Matlala, Johnson had been scheduled to testify on the Monday he rejected the plea agreement.
He claimed that she subsequently suffered a panic attack and did not testify that day.
These claims form part of Matlala’s account of the events surrounding the proposed agreement and have not been independently established.
Why Matlala approached Cele
Explaining his interactions with the former police minister, Matlala told the Commission that he approached Cele for assistance after members of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) raided his home.
He said he raised his concerns about the task team’s actions with Cele, who undertook to assist him.
Matlala has previously testified about the circumstances surrounding the preparation of his Section 204 statement, alleging that investigators took him out of prison to the Sheraton Hotel in Pretoria and a McDonald’s restaurant while working on the statement.
He also claimed that investigators promised witness protection for his family and pressured him to implicate senior police officials.
His latest testimony adds another dimension to the Commission’s examination of the allegations involving senior police leadership, political figures and investigators.
Matlala’s allegations have not been proven. They were made under oath before the Commission, and IDAC has not yet had an opportunity to respond to this specific testimony during the proceedings.
Cele has not been charged with corruption arising from Matlala’s statement and has previously denied wrongdoing.