Matlala claims Mkhwanazi threatened to take him out if Masemola’s life was in danger

Controversial businessman and alleged crime kingpin Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala said KwaZulu-Natal top cop Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi made veiled threats about taking him out should any harm come to the national Police commissioner, Fannie Masemola, over the cancellation of his police contract.

Matlala also said it was former Minister Bheki Cele who facilitated a meeting between him and Mkhwanazi over the cancellation of the R360 million police tender.

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Matlala made the revelations on Wednesday during his testimony before the Parliament ad hoc committee probing allegations of police corruption.

The committee is sitting at the Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Centre in Pretoria this week to accommodate Matlala, who is incarcerated at the facility awaiting trial for attempted murder.

Matlala, for this first time, has linked Mkhwanazi to the cancellation of his multi-million-rand tender, which was canned at the end of 2024.

He said Cele had arranged the meeting between him and Mkhwanazi to help sort out issues around payments related to the tender and the cancellation of the contract.

Matlala also said that Mkhwanazi told him that if Masemola was concerned that Matlala would "take him out" over the cancellation, Mkhwanazi would then "take care of" Matlala.

“Mkhwanazi said to me that, he said to national commissioner that, 'commissioner, if you think that your life is in danger, just say the word, I will take care of this Cat'. I asked him what do you mean? He told me that there’s only one way I can take care of you permanently, but he didn’t say like kill you.”

Matlala said they had suspicions around Mchunu’s decision to not want to cancel the contract after he had initially called for its cancellation.