Vusimuzi Matlala Remains in Custody After Brief Court Appearance, Cat’s Bail Bid Moved to September

• Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala and his three co-accused made a brief appearance in the Alexandra Magistrate's Court
• A female, who is the daughter of one of the accused, will join the accused in court after she was charged with money laundering
• Matlala and his other co-accused face charges of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and money laundering

Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.

GAUTENG - Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala will remain behind bars after making a brief appearance at the Alexandra Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, 26 August 2025.

The businessman is accused of orchestrating a hit on his ex-girlfriend, Tebogo Thobejane, in 2023. He and three co-accused face charges of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and money laundering.

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While Matlala will return to court on 2 September 2025, his co-accused, Tsakani Matlala (his wife), Musa Kekana, and Tiegi Floyd Mabusela will return to court on 7 October 2025.

Why is Matlala appearing earlier?

The businessman, who was named in Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s explosive allegations, will return to court in September for his formal bail application.

He will remain at the maximum-security C-Max unit at Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Centre.

He will then appear again after that on 7 October, along with the other accused. The matter was postponed until October to allow for the prosecution to centralise multiple cases. The State plans to centralise two other pending matters, one in Pretoria West and the other in Lyttelton, into the current case.

A fifth accused has also been charged with money laundering and will appear alongside the other four.

Why is Matlala considered a high-risk inmate?

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Apart from facing charges related to the attempted murder of Thobejane, Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi also alleged that Matlala was funding the political ambitions of Mchunu and the mysterious Brown Mokgosi.

Matlalal was also awarded a multimillion rand police tender in 2024, which was later scrapped by National Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, who said the deal should have never been approved.

What you need to know about Matlala

• Tsakani Matlala was granted bail by the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court in Johannesburg in June.
• Paul Mashatile confirmed that meetings were held with officials implicated in allegations of ties to Matlala.
• Matlala allegedly threatened to take legal action against the SAPS officials involved in a raid at his property.
• Julius Malema denied having any links to 'Cat' Matlala, but South Africans weren't having it.
• Shauwn 'MaMkhize' Mkhize has been cleared of any association with Matlala, after false allegations were made.

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Bheki Cele explains calls to Cat

Briefly News reported that former Police Minister, Bheki Cele, explained recent attempts to phone Matala.

Cele came under fire after it was revealed that he tried to contact the businessman before his arrest.

South Africans were not buying Cele's defence, as Matlala has been accused of infiltrating the criminal justice system.

Source: Briefly News