Cash in Woolies bags: Vusimuzi Matlala claims former police minister Bheki Cele demanded R1 million
Cash in Woolworths Bags: Corruption Claims Against Bheki Cele Before Parliamentary Committee
Image: Thabo Makwakwa / Independent Newspapers
In a startling revelation before the Ad Hoc Committee investigating systemic corruption within South Africa’s law enforcement agencies, alleged cartel member Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala claimed former police minister Bheki Cele demanded a bribe of R1-million - a sum Matlala alleges he partly paid in Woolworths bags.
Matlala, currently detained at Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Centre since his April arrest, is facing multiple serious charges, including conspiracy to commit murder and involvement in a R2-billion fraud linked to Tembisa Hospital.
His testimony, which resumed on Thursday, is considered a pivotal moment in exposing possible high-level collusion between political figures and criminal networks.
Before the committee, Matlala described how he handed Cele two payments of R300,000 and R200,000 in Woolworths bags on separate occasions, contradicting Cele’s earlier denials of any involvement or association.
The committee’s evidence leader, Norman Arendse SC, questioned Matlala about the initial demand.
According to the alleged murder suspect, Cele had initially demanded R1-million, but Matlala managed to pay only R500,000.
When pressed on why he omitted the full R1-million figure from his earlier statements, Matlala replied frankly, “I told you that I forgot a lot of things. I'm locked in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day, I don't have a radio or anything, so I forget a lot of things.”
Arendse stressed the importance of recalling figures linked to two high-profile politicians, suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu and Bheki Cele, both of whom are implicated in the investigation.
Matlala reiterated, “I can't control my memory, as I said, I forget a lot of things.”
Delving further into the payments, Matlala said he could not recall precisely how much he had in his possession when he made the R300,000 payment.
He explained, “I sent my sister to withdraw the money on my behalf because I had resigned as director from my company. I went to the bank to pick it up from my sister and walked back with the money in a Woolworths bag to my penthouse.”
He also revealed how Cele would often visit and stay at his Menlyn penthouse for days at a time.
On one occasion, Matlala recalled paying R200,000 at the Beverly Hills hotel.
“We had lunch at the hotel, and I sent one of my guys to fetch a bag from the car. I took that bag and handed it to Cele in his red Jeep, and he drove off,” he said.
“He would call and say, ‘Please do something,’ and I would send whatever we had to him.”
Matlala disclosed that he had informed Cele that the South African Police Service (SAPS) was no longer awarding tenders to his company.
On how he travelled to meet with Cele in Durban, where he handed him the Woolies bag full of cash, he described his own security detail, saying, “We were a team of 16, and about four vehicles that travel with me all the time as my protectors.”
Asked why such a large entourage, Matlala explained it was partly for his company's marketing and partly for his personal safety.
Matlala’s testimony further alleged that Cele requested that he purchase a house in Trafalgar for a purported son whose identity was unknown.
He also confirmed a meeting arranged by Cele at The Pearls of uMhlanga between himself and KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
“And who arranged that meeting?” asked the committee.
“It was General Cele. General Cele arranged that meeting, I told Mkhwanazi about my challenges, and he said he'd look at it, but I never heard from him again,” Matlala confirmed.
The Ad Hoc Committee was formed in October 2024 amid explosive accusations by Lt Gen Mkhwanazi, who alleged a deliberate campaign orchestrated by senior police officials and politicians to obstruct investigations and protect drug cartels tied to politically motivated killings in KwaZulu-Natal.
On July 6, Mkhwanazi accused suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu of disbanding the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) on December 31, 2024 - a move described as designed to shield Matlala and others with entrenched political ties from prosecution.
Matlala’s testimony adds fresh gravitas to these claims, potentially implicating top officials in corruption and complicity with criminal enterprises.
As the committee continues to probe these allegations, the nation watches closely, seeking answers about the integrity of institutions meant to serve and protect.
thabo.makwakwa@inl.co.za
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