How Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala managed to get cellphone inside Kgosi Mampuru prison

According to a preliminary investigation, inmate Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala alleges that he got the cellphone found in his possession from another offender who has since been released on bail.

In a parliamentary reply, Minister of Correctional Services Pieter Groenewald said the investigation could not point to anyone responsible except Matlala himself, who was caught with the contraband during a search at the Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Centre.

This comes after a question by EFF’s Babalwa Mathulelwa regarding the circumstances under which Matlala was found with the cellphone and what actions the department has taken to prevent future security breaches.

Matlala, 49, has become a central figure in explosive allegations involving fraud, violent crime, and high-level corruption. He was found in possession of a mobile phone during a raid at the Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Facility in Pretoria, raising serious questions about prison security.

In July, Commissioner of Correctional Services Makgothi Thobakgale confirmed the incident, stating, “On Sunday morning, we did a surprise search and we found a cellphone in his possession.”

He added that the device was handed over to the South African Police Service (SAPS) for further investigation.

Following the incident, Matlala was moved to the C-Max section of the prison and is considered a high-risk inmate.

“Cat Matlala is at C-Max correctional facility because of a classification. He is classified as high-risk, but also, secondly, we continue to do searches, especially these types of searches that we did last night,” Thobakgale told broadcaster Newzroom Afrika.

Groenewald said that “the Centre Management has conducted a risk and security assessment of the inmate. The inmate has been reclassified.” He further confirmed that the investigation “could not point to anyone responsible except the inmate who had the contraband during the search.”

Matlala and three co-accused appeared at Alexandra Magistrate’s Court in early July, facing charges related to a 2023 shooting on the N1 near Sandton. The shooting left socialite Tebogo Thobejane, known for her role in the television drama Muvhango, wounded in the foot, and a female passenger seriously injured with a spinal injury.

“All the cases for the accused have been remanded to August 26,” Magistrate Rennie Boshoff said.

Matlala stands accused of orchestrating a network of corruption, fraud, and violence, including attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and money laundering. Co-accused include his wife, Tsakani Matlala, who was recently added to the charge sheet and granted bail on strict conditions due to health and family considerations, along with Musa Kekana and Tiegi Floyd Mabusela.

He was arrested in Midrand on May 14, 2025 following what police described as a “high-profile investigation.”

Matlala is also linked to a controversial R360 million South African Police Service health services tender that was later cancelled by National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola, who said the company linked to Matlala “should never have advanced past the initial bidding phase.”

Mathulelwa had asked what measures have been implemented to prevent similar security breaches in the future.

In response, Groenewald said management has instituted a multi-pronged approach which includes enhanced security patrols, stricter enforcement of procedures, and the use of technology.

This also involves ensuring that officials and inmates are no longer allowed to carry meals, bags, or any other items that could be used to smuggle contraband into or within the Centre.

Matlala’s name has also surfaced in politically sensitive allegations. In a press briefing KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi alleged that Police Minister Senzo Mchunu is under criminal investigation linked to corrupt elements within SAPS, citing Matlala’s irregular tender awards as an example of systemic corruption.

Cape Times