Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala to testify before Parly committe probing police corruption

Parliament’s ad hoc committee investigating allegations of police corruption and interference will sit in Pretoria this week, where Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala is expected to give evidence.

Matlala is the 13th witness to appear before the committee. His testimony follows that of former KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who implicated him in an alleged plot to influence operational decisions within the police, including the disbandment of the political killings task team.

Other witnesses, such as Cedric Nkabinde and Shadrack Sibiya, have also linked Matlala to alleged interference in police operations.

Matlala is also expected to testify about financial matters, including a R360 million tender awarded to his company, Medicare 24, before it was cancelled in December last year. He has reportedly received payments of up to R50 million related to that contract.

He is further expected to address allegations that he made payments ranging from R2 million to R5 million to Mkhwanazi, former Police Minister Bheki Cele, and National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola.

Some of these allegations were repeated last week by Brown Mokgotsi at the Madlanga Commission, which is also sitting in Pretoria.

Before Matlala’s appearance, South Afrian Police Service chief financial officer Puleng Dimpane is scheduled to brief the committee on police spending, the budget, and irregular expenditure by the political killings task team. She is also expected to answer questions on the cancelled R360 million Medicare 24 tender.

Dimpane’s testimony will be followed by the second phase of the inquiry, during which members of the public, organisations, and other interested parties with relevant information will be invited to make submissions.

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