Once hailed as a flashy businessman with political connections and a taste for opulence, Vusumuzi “Cat” Matlala now stands at the center of one of South Africa’s most explosive criminal scandals in recent memory. At 49, the Gauteng-based tender tycoon has been publicly named by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi as a key figure in a massive criminal syndicate allegedly linked to high-ranking politicians, police, prosecutors, and even members of the judiciary.
Matlala’s meteoric rise was powered by questionable state contracts—including a staggering R360 million SAPS health services tender awarded to his company, Medicare24 Tswane District, in 2024. Despite red flags and allegations of fraud, the deal proceeded, enriching Matlala by R48 million before it was abruptly cancelled by National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola amid a deepening investigation. The fallout left unpaid suppliers and staff in its wake, while Matlala flaunted his wealth with luxury brands, plastic surgery, and globetrotting escapades.
But the story runs far darker than unpaid bills and political backroom deals.
Matlala has long hovered on the radar of corruption investigators. His name was linked to the Tembisa Hospital tender scandal—a controversy that erupted after whistleblower Babita Deokaran was assassinated in 2021. Deokaran had flagged Matlala’s entities for financial irregularities. He was also implicated in alleged tender fraud at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa), painting a consistent portrait of procurement rot and shadowy dealings.
In May 2025, the curtain began to close. Matlala was arrested on charges of attempted murder and conspiracy to kill, including a 2023 failed assassination plot targeting his ex-girlfriend, actress Tebogo Thobejane, in a brazen shooting at a Sandton nightclub. Recovered WhatsApp chats revealed chilling instructions to “shoot her in the face so that her family does not recognize her.” His wife, Tsakani Matlala, was also arrested as an alleged accomplice, though later granted bail.
Now in custody and awaiting his next court appearance on July 11, 2025, Matlala faces a litany of additional charges, including money laundering, that expose a broader network of crime and influence.
In a bombshell escalation, Commissioner Mkhwanazi today linked Matlala to top political figures, accusing him of bankrolling the ambitions of Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and an associate, Brown Mogotsi. According to forensic evidence, including intercepted WhatsApp messages, Matlala allegedly funded a 2025 Cape Town gala dinner and provided travel expenses—gaining insider updates that the Political Killings Task Team had been dismantled, effectively stalling investigations. Commissioner Mkhwanazi described this as part of a systematic effort to protect Matlala from justice, implicating powerful allies in what the EFF has labeled a full-blown “mafia state.”
Minister Mchunu has denied all allegations and called for a full investigation, but the damage is done. The scandal surrounding Vusumuzi “Cat” Matlala is no longer just about corruption—it has become a mirror reflecting the fragile state of law, politics, and accountability in South Africa.
As the nation watches the case unfold, many are asking: How deep does the rot really go—and who’s next?
