Mbabane – The controversial Eswatini identity document allegedly used by South African businessman Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala has resurfaced in a fresh criminal investigation after his wife, Tsakane Matlala, was arrested in connection with an allegedly fraudulent R95 000-a-month lease for a luxury mansion in Pretoria.
Tsakane was arrested on Tuesday September 22,2026 morning by members of the Gauteng Political Killings Task Team, shortly after Matlala’s close associate was arrested in Pretoria over allegations that he falsified bank statements to help secure the lease. The arrests form part of an investigation into how false documents were allegedly used to obtain the Waterkloof Ridge property.
South African police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe confirmed the arrests, according to reports, while police have indicated that more suspects could be arrested in connection with the investigation. Tsakane is the second suspect arrested in the lease matter.
The lease reportedly involved a luxury, multi-million-rand mansion in Waterkloof Ridge at R95 000 per month, amounting to about R1.14 million annually. Investigators allege that false financial documents were used to support the application, while Matlala allegedly used an Eswatini identity document bearing the name ‘Vusimuzi Dlamini’.
The development has again placed Matlala’s disputed Eswatini identity at the centre of attention, months after authorities in the Kingdom investigated how the document was allegedly obtained.
In September, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) found suspended Home Affairs Assistant Regional Civil Registrar Nonhlanhla Malambe guilty of unlawfully processing an Eswatini birth certificate and national identity card in favour of a foreign national identified as Vusimuzi Dlamini. The commission found that the documents were processed without the required procedures and that particulars of an innocent Eswatini citizen were allegedly used in the registration.
According to the CSC findings, the birth certificate was registered on February 12, 2024, while the national identity card was issued eight days later. The commission heard that the woman whose particulars appeared as Dlamini’s mother denied having such a child and said her identity documents had previously been lost.
The matter first attracted widespread attention after reports emerged that Matlala was allegedly in possession of an Eswatini identity document under the name Vusimuzi Dlamini. The Ministry of Home Affairs and the Royal Eswatini Police Service subsequently launched investigations into the circumstances surrounding the document.
Malambe has previously denied receiving payment for assisting with the documentation and told the Times of Eswatini that she acted in good faith, saying she had not known Matlala’s identity at the time. She is also facing criminal proceedings linked to the alleged unlawful issuance of the documents.
The latest South African investigation has now brought renewed scrutiny to allegations that the disputed Eswatini identity was used beyond the Kingdom’s borders.
Reports have previously alleged that Matlala and Tsakane presented themselves as members of the Eswatini royal family while seeking the Waterkloof property. Matlala allegedly presented the identity document identifying him as Vusimuzi Dlamini, while the couple were reportedly seeking to secure the high-value lease. These allegations have not been tested in court.
Matlala has previously disputed possessing an Eswatini identity document, telling the South African Parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee that he did not have such an ID. His legal representatives have also previously disputed allegations surrounding the document.
The royal connection claimed by Matlala has also previously been questioned. During his appearance before the South African parliamentary committee, he reportedly said he had been invited to Eswatini by Queen Mother Queen Ntombi Tfwala for King Mswati III’s birthday celebrations. The King’s Office, however, previously said there was no official record of such an invitation.
The fresh arrests mean the disputed Eswatini identity document is now linked to another investigation across the border, while the criminal and disciplinary proceedings surrounding its alleged issuance in Eswatini continue.
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