State likely to seek further postponement in 'Cat' Matlala case

The state is likely to request a further postponement when the case against alleged criminal kingpin, Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala and his co-accused resumes next month.

Matlala, his wife Tsakane, and their three co-accused appeared in the Johannesburg High Court on Thursday, facing twenty-five charges, including eleven counts of attempted murder.

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Matlala's lawyer accuses state of delay tactics

The cases are linked to three separate shooting incidents allegedly committed between August 2022 and January 2024.

The matter was meant to proceed with pre-trial, but the defence requested a postponement, claiming they’ve yet to receive certain documents and evidence related to the case from the state.

But senior state prosecutor, advocate Elize le Roux, disputed that the state was intentionally delaying the matter proceeding to trial.

"The thing is, I have not had the opportunity to review the request for further disclosure. We can keep the date of the 18th of March as a provisional date, but I will reserve the right to request a further postponement once I’ve had access to the request by the defence."