WATCH | Big five cartel exposed: Molefe & ‘Cat’ named as kingpins in crime empire

Dumisani Khumalo

Pretoria – Accused criminal kingpins Katiso Molefe and Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala have been identified as key figures in a powerful organised crime cartel known as the “Big Five,” the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry heard on Monday.

Police Crime Intelligence head Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo testified on Day 8 of the hearings, which are probing alleged criminal infiltration of the justice system.

He said the cartel was highly sophisticated, had infiltrated the political arena, and ran operations both nationally and internationally.

The cartel’s main commodity is drug trafficking, supported by contract killings linked to the drug trade.

“The syndicates, which are operational units of the cartel, consist of between 10 and 12 members that are recruited based on their experience in terms of dealing with one of the commodities that the cartel is specialising on,” Khumalo said.

Khumalo said it is also involved in cross-border vehicle hijacking, kidnappings, tender fraud and extortion. Gauteng serves as the cartel’s headquarters, while KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape are key transport nodes due to their port cities.

Private security companies are allegedly used as fronts, giving members access to firearms and allowing them to blend criminal activities with legitimate businesses. Khumalo explained that syndicates within the cartel typically consist of 10–12 recruited members, with loyalty, history, and the ability to influence law enforcement and prosecutions being highly valued.

Molefe and Matlala were placed at the base of the cartel’s organogram, alongside three still-unidentified senior members. Khumalo said investigations into the other figures are ongoing.

The commissioner revealed he would submit WhatsApp evidence from Matlala’s phone, including conversations with senior police officials and businessmen, allegedly showing efforts to disband the KwaZulu-Natal Political Killings Task Team. The hearings are set to continue on Tuesday.

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