From black to transparent: Woolies bag switches up as ‘Cat’ Matlala’s testimony heats up

The Woolies bag saga continues! 

South Africa is a movie, and we didn’t even audition for the role.

A very serious Ad Hoc Committee investigation is underway, but the sideshow is so loud that people who haven’t watched a single State of the Nation Address since primary school are suddenly political analysts.

The controversial businessman and fashionista, Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, recently shook the room during his testimony with his now-viral statement. 

Matlala admitted that he was using his sister, Claudette Masethe, as a front, and even though he resigned as director of Medicare24 Tshwane District in December 2024 (right when the Political Killings Task Team started warming up), he still saw himself as the real 100% shareholder.

And then the plot twist that had the whole of Mzansi wheezing: according to him, the money, a cool R300K, was placed in a Woolworths shopping bag.  Apparently, it doubles as a luxury briefcase now.

But here’s the real gag. Either Woolworths is trolling us, or they’re quietly embarrassed, because the iconic black bag at the centre of the drama has "mysteriously" transformed. It’s not black anymore, it’s white, and see-through (transparent), nogal. 

EW. Imagine stuffing R300K in a bag that looks like it belongs in the fruit-and-veg section (Just jokes). 

In reality, Woolworths’ current bags lean heavily into the recycled, reusable, eco-friendly life: a recyclable paper bag made from 85% recycled material, an R8.49 reusable bag made from recycled plastics, foldable insulated totes (including white designs), and see-through organic cotton produce bags. Basically, none of them were built for secret cash missions. Just saying. 

Mzansi obviously caught wind of the news and wasted no time weighing in online.

@Iam_Laxa took to X: "Woolies said ‘no more black bags. Because Cat used the Woolies bag to deliver R300K like it was a lunchbox, now all our groceries are going through an audit." 

@positivegp wrote: "So you all forced @WOOLWORTHS_SA to change their bag with all the memes and creative expressions or Woolies is distancing itself from AMASELA in (Mam Khawula’s voice)."

While @Snee_G wrote: "Woolies said…. ‘WE WILL NOT BE PART OF THIS MESS!’ "

"Woolies bag changed.. now even the neighbour's will see what's in the bag," @pmcafrica commented.

Woolies might be whitewashing their bags and removing themselves, but we see you. That bag’s fame is now Mzansi-certified.