Contractor Matlala Met Deputy Minister Swarts at Her Private Home — Witness Testimony Reveals

Vusimuzi Cat Matlala walked into a private Pretoria residence and sat down with Deputy Minister of Public Works Bernice Swarts — a meeting he now says a senior government figure personally arranged for him. Matlala, a contractor with reported links to Department of Public Works and Infrastructure procurement circles, made the disclosure during sworn testimony that has set political corridors buzzing this week.

Matlala told investigators that General Sibiya facilitated the encounter, allegedly contacting him directly and steering him toward Swarts at her personal dwelling. The testimony describes Sibiya as the key broker, reportedly framing the gathering as a necessary step in advancing Matlala’s interests within departmental channels. No formal venue — no government office, no scheduled diary entry — marked the rendezvous.

The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure confirmed it had received notification of the sworn account and stated that internal processes would determine any further institutional response. Deputy Minister Swarts has not publicly addressed the disclosure. SAPS investigators familiar with the broader inquiry noted the testimony formed part of a widening probe into procurement irregularities across multiple government entities.

Sibiya’s name has surfaced repeatedly in earlier stages of the same investigation, with sources close to the matter describing him as a central connector between contractors and senior political figures. Matlala himself reportedly secured infrastructure-related work during the period in question, raising scrutiny over whether the private introduction produced tangible financial outcomes for either party involved.

What stays with those who read Matlala’s testimony is a single detail he offered almost in passing — that he arrived at Swarts’s door carrying documents, waited briefly on the front step, and was ushered inside by someone who was clearly expecting him. No protocol. No sign-in sheet. Just a knock, a threshold, and two people whose official relationship had no business crossing into a personal address.

Neither Swarts’s legal representatives nor Sibiya’s office responded to requests for comment before publication. Matlala’s attorney confirmed the testimony stands as recorded. What remains unanswered is the question every South African voter deserves a response to: if this meeting generated no agreement, no favour, and no consequence — why did it happen at her house at all?

https://x.com/i/status/2119807908150206919

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