Matlala expresses fear of Sibiya, contradicts previous statements at Madlanga commission

Alleged underworld figure Vusimusi "Cat" Matlala testified at the Madlanga commission, expressing fear for his safety and that of his family, particularly in relation to former top cop Shadrack Sibiya. Matlala's three-day testimony was marked by contradictions and inconsistencies with his previous statements. He denied several statements contained in his section 204 affidavit, which was part of his failed plea deal with the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (Idac).

Matlala was questioned about a payment of R500,000 he allegedly made to Sibiya as a contribution towards his son's wedding. Despite the two not being related, Matlala claimed that answering the question could expose him and his family to harm. Commissioner Sandile Khumalo pressed him, asking if he feared for his safety and his family members' safety, to which Matlala responded affirmatively. Matlala had previously told the parliamentary committee that he had made a cash payment of R300,000 on the same day or the day after former police minister Bheki Cele requested money.

Matlala's account of payments made to Cele differed significantly from his previous testimony. He had previously told the parliamentary committee that he had made a cash payment of R300,000, but this week he testified that the initial payment was R200,000. When confronted about the discrepancy, Matlala attributed it to possibly "mixing up" the two payments. He also disputed several statements attributed to him in the section 204 affidavit, insisting that it had not been drafted by him.

Matlala recounted an incident in which Idac officials, led by chief investigator Dylan Perumal and investigator Brian Padayachee, would allegedly book him out of prison without his lawyer's knowledge. He claimed that they wanted him to provide information or damaging material about senior police officers, including crime intelligence head Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo, national police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola, and KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.

Matlala described how he was made to phone Maj-Gen Lesetja Senona, head of the Hawks in KwaZulu-Natal, at around 2am in an attempt to obtain information about the three senior police officers, but the effort yielded nothing. He claimed to have proof that he had not drafted the affidavit, stating that he had asked junior lawyers to record the proceedings because Perumal was typing whatever suited him.

On numerous occasions, Matlala invoked his right against self-incrimination, while on others he raised concerns about the safety of himself and his family. Later in the week, the acting co-ordinator of the National Intelligence Co-ordinating Committee (Nicoc), Ntandazo Sifolo, told the commission that organised crime syndicates had infiltrated the country's criminal justice system to such an extent that Khumalo was on the verge of giving up.

Sifolo's testimony revealed that the infiltration had been reversed through interventions that began last year, adding that the July 6 briefing by Mkhwanazi was not the work of one individual. He said efforts to clean up the criminal justice system had been met with fierce resistance from those who had allegedly infiltrated and captured the system. The commission's proceedings highlighted the complexities and challenges in addressing organised crime and corruption within the country's institutions.

Key points

• Matlala expresses fear for his safety and family's due to Shadrack Sibiya
• Matlala's testimony contradicts previous statements about payments to Bheki Cele
• Idac officials allegedly coerced Matlala into providing information about senior police officers