Alleged criminal kingpin Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala is expected to deliver explosive testimony on Wednesday before Parliament’s ad hoc committee probing allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal provincial police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. The hearings are being held this week at the Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre to accommodate Matlala, who remains in custody while awaiting trial.
Matlala sits at the centre of claims by Mkhwanazi that powerful criminal cartels have infiltrated South Africa’s justice system by capturing politicians, senior police officers and even members of the judiciary.
He has previously told the police’s Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) that he had dealings with Police Minister Senzo Mchunu through alleged influence broker Brown Mogotsi. These dealings, he claimed, included supporting Mchunu’s political ambitions in exchange for protection from criminal investigations and arrest.
Matlala further alleges that Mchunu attempted to have his multimillion-rand SAPS tender cancelled after he refused to participate in a plot to frame PKTT members for stealing expensive watches during a raid at his home. The arrest related to the murder of his former girlfriend, Tebogo Thobejane.
Both Mchunu and suspended deputy national police commissioner Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya have denied any relationship with Matlala during their earlier appearances before the committee.
Matlala is expected to be questioned further about his alleged association with Sibiya.
PKTT Disbandment Under Scrutiny
During his widely publicised 6 July media briefing, Mkhwanazi alleged that Mchunu’s aborted attempt to disband the PKTT was aimed at shielding Matlala and fellow alleged cartel member Katiso “KT” Molefe. Molefe, who was arrested on multiple murder charges, has since been released on bail, while Matlala remains behind bars after several failed bail applications.
Mchunu, who was placed on special leave by President Cyril Ramaphosa last month, told the committee that the PKTT had diverted too many resources, leaving the SAPS unable to perform other essential functions. Sibiya and Mchunu’s adviser, controversial academic Mary de Haas, echoed this claim.
CFO Contradicts Minister
But on Tuesday, SAPS Chief Financial Officer Lt-Gen Puleng Dimpane presented financial records that directly contradict the minister’s assertions.
According to Dimpane, the PKTT has cost R435 million from its establishment in 2018 to September 2025—far below the expenditure of other major operations such as the illegal mining crackdown, Operation Vala Umgodi, which absorbed more than R1 billion in a single year.
“Chairperson, as you can see, the PKTT does not have the highest expenditure. In fact, it is far less than others,” Dimpane told the committee.
She added that Mchunu had never been briefed on the unit’s budget.
“All five presentations we made to the minister were at a macro or strategic level. There was nothing on operational issues such as the PKTT, so I don’t know where he got the idea that the PKTT was too costly. I just saw him saying so here,” Dimpane testified.
While acknowledging that task teams are costly due to travel, accommodation and overtime claims, Dimpane stressed that such expenses are normal for units operating nationally.
“The members may not necessarily come from KwaZulu-Natal, and you need to accommodate them as they work anywhere in the country. They work overtime; they work hard. This is how police work operates,” she said.
Dimpane reiterated that she has “never spoken to the minister about the PKTT budget.”
More Explosive Testimony Expected
Matlala’s testimony is expected to further intensify pressure on Mchunu and Sibiya, especially as several witnesses have already disputed the rationale given for attempting to disband the PKTT.
The committee continues its proceedings at the Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre this week.