Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala forced back into hot seat after last-minute delay attempt

Controversial businessman Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala is set to proceed with his testimony before the Ad Hoc Committee on Wednesday, following a last-minute request for postponement made by his legal team, citing pressing health concerns and inadequate preparation time due to his current detention.

The request, submitted merely a day before the scheduled hearing, highlighted the numerous challenges Matlala faces from behind bars, particularly in the context of his legal representation—his lawyer, Matlhatsi Abram Madira, expressed serious issues regarding the review of a substantial amount of documentation critical for the proceedings.

In a letter detailing these grievances, Madira painted a bleak picture of the difficulties encountered while trying to effectively prepare Matlala for his testimony. He conveyed that the overwhelming volume of documents had rendered it "virtually impossible" for Matlala to adequately adduce evidence.

"Our legal team have raised concerns regarding the adequate time which they needed to prepare our client for these proceedings... consulting with Mr Matlala has become an absolute nightmare in prison," Madira stated.

Madira further emphasised issues regarding the infrastructure at C Max Prison, asserting that the facility does not support productive consultations due to poor network coverage and a lack of appropriate meeting spaces.

"The detention of Mr Matlala in the C Max Prison has negatively affected our client’s health and mental capacity... during our consultation with Mr Matlala yesterday, we could pick up that he no longer comprehends some of the issues and seemed disorientated," he wrote.

Such concerns, he noted, had also been raised during previous bail applications.

Despite these pressing issues, Ad Hoc Committee chair, Soviet Lekganyane, confirmed the meeting with Matlala will take place as planned at the Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre, which has been arranged specifically to accommodate the witness's confinement status.

"We are here this week to feature Matlala in our proceedings, together with his representatives," Lekganyane remarked.

Matlala is expected to testify regarding allegations made by Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, which include serious claims of criminal infiltration, corruption, and undue political influence within the judicial system.

The committee, tasked with unpacking the assertions made by Mkhwanazi, is slated to hear from three pivotal witnesses in Gauteng as part of this investigation.

Speaking on Tuesday, Singabakho Nxumalo, the national spokesperson for Correctional Services, assured that the arrangements for the committee’s hearings had been meticulously planned to ensure security and comfort.

"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," he noted.

Matlala, who finds himself at the centre of public scrutiny due to alleged connections to fraudulent transactions in the R2 billion 'looting' of Tembisa Hospital, had been arrested in April for allegedly orchestrating the attempted murder of his ex-girlfriend, actress Tebogo Thobejane.

He remains in custody after being denied bail and is believed to play a key role in manipulations related to SAPS tenders benefiting criminal syndicates allegedly supported by high-ranking political and police figures.

IOL