Alleged Big 5 cartel member Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala is set to face additional criminal charges, the Johannesburg High Court has revealed. The announcement came as Matlala appealed a decision by the Alexandra Magistrates Court to deny him bail.
Matlala is accused of ordering a hit on his ex-girlfriend, socialite and actress Tebogo Thobejane, in what authorities describe as a “targeted act of retaliation.” The attempted assassination has intensified scrutiny around his alleged role in one of South Africa’s most dangerous criminal networks.
Links to Tembisa Hospital Scandal
Investigators have also tied Matlala to the R2-billion looting of Tembisa Hospital, a scandal that has rocked the Gauteng Department of Health. He is reportedly a key figure in the money-laundering operations that siphoned off public funds through ghost companies and fraudulent procurement deals.
His name has surfaced alongside that of senior officials and businessmen allegedly connected to the hospital’s corruption network, which continues to be investigated by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and the Hawks.
Interference Allegations and Political Ties
Sources close to the investigation claim that Matlala also played a role in efforts to disband the Political Killings Task Team, which has been pursuing high-profile cases involving contract murders linked to political and business interests.
Authorities believe Matlala’s influence extends beyond organised crime, touching political and law enforcement structures that protect cartel activities through bribery and intimidation.
As his legal battles intensify, the High Court’s decision on bail will likely set the tone for what could become one of South Africa’s most consequential organised crime trials in recent years.
