Meet Vusumuzi Matlala The Businessman Named In Shocking Criminal Syndicate Allegations By KZN Police Commissioner General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi
Vusumuzi “Cat” Matlala, a 49-year-old Gauteng-based businessman and self-styled tenderpreneur, has emerged as a polarizing figure in South Africa’s ongoing battle against corruption and organized crime.
Named today by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi during a dramatic press briefing, Matlala is accused of being a linchpin in a sprawling criminal syndicate allegedly involving politicians, police officers, prosecutors, and judicial figures, reportedly controlled by a powerful drug cartel.
Matlala rose to prominence as a flamboyant businessman who amassed wealth through lucrative government contracts. His company, Medicare24 Tswane District, secured a R360 million South African Police Service (SAPS) health services tender in 2024, despite red flags raised over allegations of fronting, collusion, and fraud. This deal, later canceled by National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola days before a criminal probe intensified, netted Matlala R48 million, even as suppliers and staff went unpaid.
His opulent lifestyle marked by luxury fashion, cosmetic surgeries, and international travel stood in stark contrast to the unraveling of his business ventures.
Matlala’s name first surfaced in connection to tender irregularities at Tembisa Hospital, where he was linked to fraud probes sparked by the 2021 assassination of whistleblower Babita Deokaran, who had flagged his companies for suspicious activities. He also faced scrutiny for alleged tender corruption at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa), further cementing his reputation as a controversial figure in public procurement.
In May 2025, Matlala was arrested on three counts of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder, including a 2023 botched hit on his ex-girlfriend, actress and socialite Tebogo Thobejane, at a Sandton club. WhatsApp messages recovered from his phone allegedly revealed chilling instructions to hitmen to “shoot her in the face so that her family does not recognize her.” His wife, Tsakani Matlala, was also arrested in May 2025 as an accomplice in the plot but was released on R20,000 bail, while Matlala abandoned his bail bid and remains in custody awaiting trial. He faces additional charges of money laundering, underscoring the breadth of his alleged criminal activities.
Today, Mkhwanazi escalated the scrutiny on Matlala, alleging he funded the political ambitions of Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and an associate, Brown Mogotsi, through payments for travel and a January 2025 gala dinner in Cape Town. The commissioner presented forensic evidence, including WhatsApp messages, showing Matlala’s communications with Mogotsi, who allegedly informed him on January 1, 2025, that the Political Killings Task Team investigating the syndicate had been disbanded, with case dockets transferred to Deputy National Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya, stalling probes. Mkhwanazi accused senior officials, including Mchunu, of shielding Matlala, claims the minister has denied, calling for a thorough investigation.
As Matlala awaits his next court appearance on July 11, 2025, at the Johannesburg High Court, his case has become a lightning rod for concerns about corruption, political interference, and the integrity of South Africa’s institutions.