Pretoria – Alleged cartel member Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala has told South Africa’s Ad Hoc Committee investigating law enforcement corruption that former police minister Bheki Cele demanded a R1-million bribe, which Matlala partly paid in Woolworths bags.
Detained since April on multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit murder and involvement in a R2-billion Tembisa Hospital fraud, Matlala described handing Cele R300,000 and R200,000 on separate occasions and hosting him at his Menlyn penthouse.
“He actually wanted R1 million. I gave him R300,000, and then I gave him R200,000, like I mentioned. And the day I decided to stop, I was supposed to give him R300,000 again, but that never happened. It’s when I decided to stop taking his calls.”
WATCH | Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala tells the Ad Hoc Committee that Bheki Cele asked him for money, with the first payment of R300,000 made in January. He says Cele actually wanted a total of R1m. pic.twitter.com/WQEu5cCk3R
— SABC News (@SABCNews) November 27, 2025
When questioned about why he had left out the full R1-million amount in his previous statements, Matlala responded candidly, “I told you that I forgot a lot of things. I’m locked in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day, I don’t have a radio or anything, so I forget a lot of things.”
He also alleged Cele requested he buy a house for an unknown purported son and arranged a meeting with KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
Cat Vusi Matlala Says Bheki Cele ask for money to cover his secret son outside his marriage whose doing Engineering and money to build retirement house #AdHocCommittee pic.twitter.com/l8zmVz23BV
— MATOME (@Mramatla_) November 27, 2025
Matlala’s testimony supports prior claims by Mkhwanazi that senior police officials and politicians obstructed investigations to protect cartel-linked individuals.
The committee continues probing these high-level corruption allegations.
[LIVE NOW 🔴] Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala says former Police Minister Bheki Cele initially demanded R1 million in return for favours he had provided, adding that Cele was living in his apartment at the time. Tune in to #eNCA, channel #DStv403. pic.twitter.com/iaTUc2yT7F
— eNCA (@eNCA) November 27, 2025
Follow African Insider on Facebook, X and Instagram
Picture: X/@Aubrey_Senyolo
For more African news, visit Africaninsider.com
Compiled by Betha Madhomu
