Tsakane Matlala, the wife of alleged cartel leader Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala, has been granted R20,000 bail in a fraud and corruption case. She was arrested on Monday during a Gauteng counter-intelligence operation conducted in collaboration with the Political Killings Task Team. Matlala, along with Tshepo Mabopane and Claudette Masethe, appeared in court with Vusimuzi Matlala as co-accused in the fraud and corruption case. The case involves allegations of fraudulent acquisition of properties across Gauteng and procurement of fraudulent IDs and citizenship in eSwatini.
According to the state, one of the properties involved was in Waterkloof, Pretoria, and was leased for R95,000 a month. A total of R1.2 million has allegedly been paid to the property. Matlala told the court that she intended to plead not guilty and would contest the allegations against her. She claimed she suffered from pulmonary embolism, was unemployed, and did not own any businesses. Matlala stated that she was the primary caregiver for her three minor children.
Matlala further stated that she had not breached any of her bail conditions during the past year in a separate attempted murder case in which she is a co-accused with her husband. The state did not oppose bail but asked the court to impose stringent conditions, including that Matlala not interfere with witnesses, report to her nearest police station at least once a week, surrender her travel documents, and notify the investigating officer of any travel outside the court's jurisdiction.
Matlala's arrest on Monday coincided with the arrest of suspended deputy national police commissioner Shadrack Sibiya on sex-related charges. Sibiya has been implicated in receiving impalas as a gift from Matlala in his alleged role in the R360m Medicare24 irregular contract. The National Prosecuting Authority withdrew the fraud charges against suspended national police commissioner Fannie Masemola on his alleged role in the Medicare24 contract, citing lack of evidence.
On Monday, the same day of Tsakane's arrest and Sibiya's court appearance, a search and seizure operation was conducted by the Special Investigating Unit at the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSiRA) in Centurion, Pretoria. The operation relates to an investigation into the regulator's handling of funds received from the Unemployment Insurance Fund. The Special Investigating Unit is investigating how R130m allocated to PSiRA was used to train 7,701 young people in private security, election observation, and end-user computing.
The raid comes after testimony at the Madlanga Commission concerning the registration of Matlala's CAT VIP Protection with PSiRA, despite allegations of serious criminal conduct against him. The recent arrests and search and seizure operations form part of wider investigations into alleged organised crime and possible links to law enforcement and the private security industry.
The case is set to continue on 29 October, with Tsakane Matlala expected to return to court. The investigation is ongoing, with multiple individuals and entities implicated in the alleged organised crime and corruption. The authorities have assured that they will continue to probe the matter and bring those responsible to justice.
Key points
- Tsakane Matlala granted R20,000 bail in fraud and corruption case.
- SIU conducts search and seizure operation at PSiRA in Centurion, Pretoria.
- Investigations into alleged organised crime and possible links to law enforcement and private security industry ongoing.
