Member of Parliament and National Coloured Congress (NCC) leader Fadiel Adams has dismissed claims that businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala is a major organised crime figure, telling a parliamentary committee that the “real cartels are in Parliament”.
Adams made the remarks while giving testimony before Parliament’s ad hoc committee investigating allegations involving senior South African Police Service (SAPS) officials and organised crime.
The committee was established to examine claims made by KwaZulu-Natal provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi during a controversial media briefing in July last year.
Adams Questions ‘Big Five’ Cartel Claims
During questioning by Advocate Maria Mokhoaetsi, Adams was asked about allegations that he had improperly accessed classified police intelligence.
He also addressed claims that Matlala was linked to a powerful organised crime syndicate known as the “Big Five”.
Adams rejected the description outright.
“A cartel — I look at the Russians, the Colombians, the Bulgarians, maybe even the Moroccans. Those are cartels. Vusi Cat Matlala is way too small for that job,” Adams told the committee.
Instead, he suggested that Matlala may have played a different role within criminal networks.
“What I think he was, was a cash funnel for some very powerful people within the South African Police Service,” Adams said.
SAPS Intelligence Claims Cartel Infiltration
The allegations about the “Big Five” cartel were previously outlined by SAPS crime intelligence boss Lieutenant General Dumisani Khumalo during testimony at the Madlanga Commission in September last year.
Khumalo claimed the cartel had infiltrated multiple sectors of South Africa’s criminal justice system.
According to Khumalo, the syndicate had connections within political structures, law-enforcement agencies and private security companies.
“The Big Five has already penetrated the political sphere and there are documented cases of high-profile connections in the political arena, with senior politicians alleged to be complicit and/or wilfully blind to the syndicate operations,” Khumalo said at the time.
He further alleged that the group had captured key elements of the criminal justice system to protect its operations.
The alleged cartel was said to operate primarily from Gauteng while maintaining activities in KwaZulu-Natal, the Western Cape and the Eastern Cape.
Criminal Activities Linked to the Alleged Syndicate
According to Khumalo’s testimony, the group was involved in a wide range of organised criminal activities.
These allegedly included drug trafficking, contract killings, tender fraud, cross-border vehicle hijackings, kidnappings and extortion.
He also claimed the syndicate carried out cash-in-transit robberies and ATM bombings to generate additional funds when their primary criminal activities slowed.
Khumalo named two individuals allegedly connected to the cartel: Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala and Katiso “KT” Molefe.
Molefe has been implicated in the murder case linked to Oupa Sefoka, widely known as DJ Sumbody, who was shot and killed in Gauteng in 2022.
Matlala, meanwhile, is currently facing attempted murder charges.
Controversial Police Health Services Tender
Matlala previously received a R360-million contract related to SAPS health services, which has since been terminated.
Adams told the committee that Matlala could not have secured the contract without assistance from senior officials within the police service.
“He didn’t give himself a R300-million tender,” Adams said.
“There was a BAC and a BEC. The National Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, admitted that someone within the IDAC had notified him that this tender might be going to the wrong person.”
Adams argued that responsibility ultimately lay with SAPS leadership.
“Vusi Cat Matlala is a criminal, and they’ve given him access to the health records of every policeman in the country,” he said.
Concerns Over Sensitive Police Data
Adams also raised concerns about the potential misuse of sensitive police health records.
He claimed the tender arrangement allowed Matlala’s company access to highly confidential personal information about police officers.
“One click of the mouse and you’ll know who has HIV. One click and he knows who has mental health issues,” Adams said.
He described the situation as a serious breach of trust.
“In this country people kill themselves before they reveal that status — and they’ve given this to a criminal. This is treason,” Adams told the committee.
SIU Investigation Uncovered Irregularities
According to Adams, irregularities in the tender process were not uncovered by SAPS itself but by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).
“If the SIU had not investigated this, Vusi Cat Matlala would still be trading with SAPS,” he said.
Adams also criticised what he described as the limited progress of the investigation against Matlala.
“If you look at the case docket at his last appearance last month, there are two pages in the docket. Two. That’s not an investigation — that’s a joke,” he said.
Committee Yet to Question Adams
Adams has now concluded his affidavit testimony before the committee.
Committee chairperson Soviet Lekganyane said members would be given a date to question Adams further about his claims.
The testimony has added fresh controversy to ongoing investigations into alleged corruption, organised crime and political influence within South Africa’s law-enforcement institutions.
