Matlala spills the beans in botched plea deal

A leaked draft affidavit Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala prepared as part of a proposed plea deal in exchange for an eight-year prison sentence details alleged corrupt arrangements with senior police officers.

The Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court rejected the initial plea agreement negotiated between Matlala and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), with magistrate Ignatius du Preez ruling that an eight-year sentence was too lenient given the scale of the alleged corruption.

Du Preez said Matlala’s cooperation was being used as a bargaining tool rather than demonstrating genuine remorse.

The court proposed a 12-year prison sentence instead. Matlala and his defence team rejected that and withdrew from the agreement.

In the draft affidavit, Matlala confirms his relationship with former deputy national police commissioner Shadrack Sibiya and says he was invited to a party at Sibiya’s house.

“I went to the said party with my wife and I noticed that Major-General [Sandrah] Thema, General [Hilda] Senthumule, General [Richard] Shibiri and Mr Robert McBride were also in attendance, amongst other people who attended.”

Matlala says his wife can corroborate his account. He also disputes Sibiya’s testimony that he visited the house to collect his wife and was not invited to the party.

“During the lifespan of the medical contract, I also gave Sibiya 20 impalas, which he had asked for. I confirm that my farm manager, Mr Rudi Botha, hired a truck and attended to the delivery of the same based on my WhatsApp communication with Nkosi.”

Matlala says he complied with Sibiya’s requests because of his position and his belief that the senior police officer helped secure the Medicare24 medical contract.

“I reiterate that all material times I complied with all requests from Sibiya as I felt obliged to do so, considering his position and belief that he somehow made it possible for Medicare to be awarded the medical contract.”

Sibiya is facing separate sexual-related charges for allegedly grooming a 16-year-old girl and raping an 18-year-old. He was denied bail on 20 October and is detained at Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Facility. He resigned from the South African Police Service on 12 October during the start of his disciplinary hearing.

Matlala also describes an incident in which he accompanied Sibiya to Midrand to view a plot of land.

“Sibiya also requested that I buy him a plot which was for sale at a price of R4 000 000.00. I informed him that I did not have sufficient funds to do so immediately however that I would only be able to do so in due course and upon receipt of payments from SAPS. He then asked that I pay for the said plot as and when I received payment from SAPS and/or as the funds came in.”

In the affidavit, Matlala says he can identify the property to police and knows its seller. He alleges that the seller later visited his office to ask when he would make a R400 000 payment towards the land.

“It is right there and then that I realised that the extortion that I was subjected to would not end and decided not to buy the said plot.”

Matlala also details two meetings with former police minister Bheki Cele.

He confirms meeting Cele at the Beverly Hills Hotel on 23 December 2024, when he raised his concerns about the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) and what he said happened during a police raid at his home.

“I relayed to him my challenges with the PKTT and what transpired in my house, and he undertook to assist me to resolve the impasse. He also informed me that I was caught up in a ‘Zulu War’. I don’t know what he meant by this.”

Matlala says Cele later visited him at his Johannesburg flat, where the former minister made two telephone calls: one to Lieutenant-General Chamane and another to PKTT project manager Dumisani Khumalo.

Matlala says Cele undertook to meet Khumalo and told him that Matlala would withdraw a civil theft case against the PKTT. Matlala has alleged that officers stole from him during the raid on his home.

Matlala also confirms his relationship with Brigadier Rachel Matjeng, saying they met during a visit to the South African Police Service (SAPS). He says Matjeng obtained his telephone number from a friend and contacted him, after which they began a romantic relationship.

“I have made payments to Rachel. I was advised by Major-General Thema that Rachel was in charge of the medical screening for forensic science laboratory personnel of the SAPS.”

He alleges that he made three payments of R100 000 each (R300k total) to Matjeng after she asked for assistance to repair her car.

Matjeng is facing fraud and corruption charges related to the R360-million Medicare24 contract and has since been dismissed from the SAPS.

Matlala further alleges that Matjeng approached him after the medical contract had been awarded and asked him to assist her colleague, Colonel Mngadi, a member of the bid evaluation committee, who was experiencing financial difficulties.

“Rachel approached me sometime after the medical contract was in existence and informed me that her colleague, Colonel Mngadi, who was a member of the Bid Evaluation Committee (BEC), was having financial problems and needed R20 000.00. I agreed to assist and I met Rachel’s house situated in Silvertondale where I gave her the R20 000.00 cash to give to Mngadi.”

Matlala says Matjeng introduced him to Major-General Thema during the Covid-19 pandemic. Matlala understood Thema to be responsible for police colleges. Thema attempted to arrange for Medicare to provide screening or vaccination services to SAPS trainees during the pandemic, but the proposal did not materialise.

Matlala alleges that Thema advised him to apply to lease the SAPS hospital in Tshwane and provided a proxy to receive financial benefits on her behalf.

“The plan was that she would ensure that as many students as possible would utilise the hospital facilities and treatment and I would then be able to bill the SAPS substantially.”