Cat Matlala says he paid Bheki Cele R500,000 to halt PKTT ‘harassment’

Alleged underworld figure and businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala says he paid former police minister Bheki Cele a total of R500,000.

The alleged payments, made on separate occasions, were in exchange for Cele’s intervention in stopping the political killings task team (PKTT) from harassing him, Matlala told parliament’s ad hoc committee probing allegations of corruption and political interference in the criminal justice system.

Matlala testified about two separate raids conducted by the PKTT. The first, on December 6, allegedly saw his family harassed at his home, where he claims rifles were pointed at them and belongings including expensive watches and firearms were confiscated. A second raid at his business premises on December 18 resulted in a further confiscation of guns.

Matlala claims his attempts to report the alleged misconduct at a police station were fruitless.

Afte the raids, Matlala said he was contacted separately by two individuals offering assistance.

He first heard from businessman Brown Mogotsi, who allegedly posed as working for the office of suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu.

Shortly after the second raid, he received a call from Bongani Mpungose, the son of KwaZulu-Natal taxi boss Sputla Mpungose, who offered to link him up with Cele.

“Then I drove to KZN and met with Mpungose and Cele,” Matlala told the committee.

He said the meeting with Cele and Mpungose took place on December 23 at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Durban. He said Cele was aware of his PKTT problem even before he fully explained it.

According to Matlala, Cele promised to assist him with the PKTT matter, describing the assurance as “a gesture of goodwill.” Matlala testified that Cele first required him to withdraw a court interdict he had filed against the task team.

“He said before he can speak to his people to stop harassing me, I must withdraw the court interdict.”

The interdict was reportedly due to be submitted to court the following day, and Matlala confirmed he had called his lawyer to cancel it.

Immediately after the withdrawal, Matlala alleges Cele placed a call in front of him to crime intelligence boss Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo, who headed the task team, telling him that Matlala “got between his Zulu war but [was] not a threat to us in any way”.

Matlala said Cele then instructed him to fetch his firearms on his return to Pretoria. The firearms were returned to him.

Matlala detailed two payments allegedly made directly to Cele:

• First payment: R300,000 at Matlala’s penthouse in Pretoria. He alleges Cele reminded him of the PKTT assistance and that he wasn’t “doing anything for him”, prompting the payment.
• Second payment: R200,000 at the Beverly Hills Hotel, which occurred around March of this year, not on the day of their first meeting. Matlala claims this payment was for the same reason — Cele’s help with the PKTT — and alleges Cele “actually wanted more”.

Matlala also testified that Cele advised him not to block the number of businessman Brown Mogotsi, suggesting that Mogotsi would lead him to Mchunu.

Matlala alleges Cele instructed him to pay Mogotsi an amount “not more than R200k” to cover costs for an ANC’s January 8th event associated with Mchunu, reportedly to finance Mchunu’s alleged presidential campaign. The money was paid to an account provided by Mogotsi for accommodation and flights, though Mchunu’s name was not on the list of beneficiaries, he said.

Matlala said he stopped taking Cele’s calls in May, before his arrest for the attempted murder of his ex-girlfriend, saying Cele kept asking for more money. He asserted his arrest was because he stopped giving Cele money.

A key point of contention arose when Matlala’s testimony contradicted a previous statement made by Cele before the same committee. Matlala claimed Cele was the one who informed him about Mchunu’s alleged presidential campaign. However, Cele had previously testified that it was Matlala who supplied him with information regarding Mchunu’s political plans, stating he kept Matlala close for this reason.

When directly asked by EFF leader Julius Malema if Cele had lied under oath, Matlala said this was so.

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