'Cat still gets his cream': DCS says Matlala will eat well even while meeting with Adhoc Committee
Remand detainee Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala will testify before Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee from inside Kgoši Mampuru II Correctional Centre this week.
Image: Itumeleng English / Independent Newspapers
The Department of Correctional Services says remand detainee and tenderpreneur Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, currently incarcerated at the Kgoši Mampuru II Correctional Centre in Pretoria, will continue to receive his meals as normal — even as the high-value inmate interacts with members of the Ad Hoc Committee of Parliament.
Earlier this week, IOL reported that MPs are heading to the Kgoši Mampuru facility to hear testimony from Matlala.
His appearance forms part of the Ad Hoc Committee’s investigation into allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, involving claims of criminal infiltration, corruption, and political interference in the criminal justice system.
The committee, established to probe Mkhwanazi’s allegations, is scheduled to hear evidence from three key witnesses in Gauteng this week. The hearings will take place at the prison after a committee resolution intended to ensure the safety and security of all parties involved.
On Tuesday morning, Correctional Services national spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said meticulous planning had gone into preparations for the committee’s sittings at the maximum-security facility.
“Remember, our mandate is to have facilities that are safe and secure, and to rehabilitate inmates in humane conditions. But we go even beyond that. When we host events, all of them have been incident-free. At no point will you find that our activities are disrupted due to poor planning," Nxumalo said in an interview with television broadcaster Newzroom Afrika.
“We are very meticulous. Even with this sitting of the Ad Hoc Committee, we have gone to great lengths to ensure that we give Parliament the best sitting — very comfortable — and they may even want to extend their time here.”
Nxumalo said MPs will be at the facility until Friday, and that limited space has been made available for members of the public who wish to attend the hearings.
“I can say that he is safely secured inside this facility. Whenever he is due to appear before the Ad Hoc Committee, he will be moved from his cell and taken straight to the venue. There is even a route that I cannot disclose publicly. The details include what happens during short breaks, what happens to him — I cannot disclose that — and also what he gets to consume inside that hall.
“I can assure everyone that the remandee in question will be safe. He will testify before the Ad Hoc Committee. Whenever he is done, he will be taken back to his cell.”
Nxumalo said careful planning also applies to inmates’ dietary schedules, and that Matlala will be fully catered for.
“He will still get his breakfast, lunch and dinner. The only difference is the intervals — when he gets and enjoys his lunch and dinner. Those will run smoothly. We are very strict in terms of what he gets to consume and where, so that at no point will you find gaps that could be utilised for other means.”
He added that the safety protocols extend even to the handling of Matlala’s meals.
Matlala, believed to be connected to fraudulent transactions in the Tembisa Hospital R2 billion 'looting', was arrested in April, for allegedly orchestrating the 2023 attempted murder of his ex-girlfriend, actress Tebogo Thobejane and is currently in custody after being denied bail.
He is also believed to be at the forefront of the SAPS tenders allegedly manipulated to benefit criminal syndicates purportedly protected by senior political and police officials.
In June 2024, SAPS awarded a major security services tender to Medicare24, a company linked to Matlala.
In addition to Matlala, the committee has resolved to hear from the SAPS’ chief financial officer, and the deputy national commissioner for policing, Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane.
The committee will resume with the testimony of Lieutenant General Mosikili and Dimpane on Tuesday, 25 November 2025.
jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
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