Pretoria – While the much anticipated appearance of the incarcerated South African businessman Vusimuzi Cat Matlala before the parliamentary adhoc committee is scheduled for tomorrow, the committee today heard evidence from SAPS’ Chief Financial Officer, Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane.
The committee, holding its hearing at the Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Centre, where Matlala is currently held on murder charges, is scheduled to hear evidence from three key witnesses in Gauteng this week.
The hearings are taking place at the prison after a committee resolution intended to ensure the safety and security of all parties involved. Dimpane said she was in her current position from 2019, overseeing financial operations. She said her job does not extend to the awarding of contracts.
Matlala was arrested in April for allegedly orchestrating the attempted murder of his former partner, actress Tebogo Thobejane, in 2023 and remains in custody. Attempts for bail were denied.
The committee questioned links to suspected fraudulent transactions connected to the Tembisa Hospital dealings. Moreover, there are claims that he is involved or promotes criminality in the SAPS, corruption, and political interference in the criminal justice system.
The committee was established in October to investigate allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
Mkhwanazi alleges that suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu disbanded the Political Killings Task team (PKTT) in 2024, to protect Matlala and others with criminal ties.
Matlala’s testimony in the allegations is expected on Wednesday. The Department of Correctional Services says Matlala will continue to receive treatment as an inmate even as he interacts with members of the adhoc committee.
Department of Correctional Services national spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said meticulous planning had gone into preparations for the committee’s sittings at the maximum-security facility.
“Remember, our mandate is to have facilities that are safe and secure, and to rehabilitate inmates in humane conditions. But we go even beyond that. When we host events, all of them have been incident-free. At no point will you find that our activities are disrupted due to poor planning,” Nxumalo said in an interview with television broadcaster Newzroom Afrika.
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