Controversial businessman and tenderpreneur Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala delivered explosive testimony before Parliament’s ad hoc committee investigating police corruption, alleging that former Police Minister Bheki Cele not only accepted large bribes but also lied under oath about the true nature of their relationship. Speaking from Kgosi Mampuru Prison in Pretoria on Wednesday, Matlala detailed a series of alleged corrupt exchanges, insisting that Cele benefited from political favours and substantial cash payments in return for halting police raids on his properties.
Matlala told the committee that Cele had misrepresented their dealings when he previously testified that their relationship was rooted in the exchange of “vital information.” Standing firm, Matlala said this was completely false. Instead, he described a dynamic in which his monetary contributions and political support bought him protection from ongoing police investigations, including harassment he claims was orchestrated under the guise of investigating a disputed SAPS health services tender.
Matlala at the Centre of High-Stakes Parliamentary Corruption Probe
One of the most damning claims made by Matlala involved a R500,000 bribe allegedly paid to Cele. He testified that the money was delivered in two instalments, specifying the amounts when questioned by Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema, who sits on the committee.
“I gave him money twice,” Matlala stated. “I gave him R300,000, and on the second occasion, I gave him R200,000.”
These payments, he said, were meant to secure Cele’s assistance in stopping raids on his properties and preventing what he described as ongoing police harassment. According to Matlala, Cele provided assurances that he would intervene — but only if Matlala withdrew his legal challenge against the police. The court application, he explained, was an interdict aimed at putting an end to persistent raids and intimidation linked to a multi-million-rand South African Police Service (SAPS) health services tender that had been awarded to his company.
The tender, long controversial, had already sparked accusations of irregularities and potential corruption. However, Matlala insisted that the legal pressure placed on him was manufactured, suggesting that political players within the SAPS and government were using police powers to influence contracts and punish those who resisted corruption or failed to comply with informal political demands.
Matlala was unequivocal in his claim that Cele lied under oath. He asserted that Cele’s testimony was designed to distance himself from the financial and political benefits he allegedly received.
“Yes, he lied under oath,” Matlala told Malema and the committee. “For me, he was sucking information. Why would he even ask me to ask my protectors to take me and his wife to take him to a wedding somewhere in Lanseria?”
This allegation suggests a degree of personal closeness that contradicts Cele’s official statements and points to what may have been a mutually beneficial arrangement. According to Matlala, the relationship was far more transactional and ethically questionable than Cele has acknowledged.
His description of ferrying Cele and his wife to private events using his own protectors paints a picture of familiarity and personal obligation far removed from the professional, intelligence-based relationship Cele defended during his testimony.
The testimony has sent shockwaves through Parliament, raising serious questions about political interference in policing, misuse of state resources, and the integrity of senior government officials. Members of the committee pressed Matlala repeatedly for details, and he appeared willing to elaborate, often volunteering additional information beyond what was initially asked.
His appearance at the Kgosi Mampuru facility — where he is currently held — added a dramatic backdrop to the proceedings. Observers noted that Matlala appeared composed and determined, seemingly prepared for potential backlash as he continued to offer new details implicating politicians and top police officials.
The ad hoc committee confirmed that Matlala’s testimony will continue on Thursday, with more questions expected regarding additional payments he claims to have made to politicians and senior members of the SAPS. Lawmakers have indicated that these hearings could significantly shape the future of the corruption probe and may even open the door to criminal investigations into high-ranking officials.
For now, Matlala’s allegations stand as some of the most serious yet levelled against former Minister Bheki Cele, raising the stakes in a political landscape already fraught with tension, mistrust, and growing demands for accountability.
Source- EWN
