By Palesa Matlala
- Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala and four co-accused appeared at Gauteng High Court where their case was postponed to 26 February 2026.
- His lawyer Advocate Annelene Van den Heever said Matlala was transferred from Gauteng to eBongweni Supermax prison in Kokstad, KZN.
The trial of businessman Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala and his four co-accused was postponed by the Gauteng High Court.
This comes after Matlala’s defense team requested more time to properly assess the state’s evidence and disclosures that have been provided to them.
The legal counsel for the fifth accused was also absent from the court hearing.
Matlala faces multiple charges in this case. These include attempted murder of his former lover Tebogo Thobejane, money laundering and a string of other charges.
At a previous court appearance, the matter was also postponed. This was to allow Matlala’s legal team time to engage with the Department of Correctional Services. The legal team wanted to arrange for Matlala to be transferred back to a prison in Gauteng.
Matlala had been transferred from the Kgosi Mampuru Maximum Correctional Centre in Gauteng. He was moved to the eBongweni Supermax Correctional Centre in Kokstad, KZN.
His lawyer, Advocate Annelene Van den Heever, explained to the court that she is still experiencing challenges in consulting with Matlala.
“We’re going to ask that our client be brought back to Joburg on Monday to finalise the consultation. It is a costly exercise,” Van den Heever said.
Van den Heever further told the court it is not in the interest of justice for her client to be denied the right to access proper legal consultation services.
The court ordered the Department of Correctional Services to make available a consultation room that has no obstructions at Kgosi Mampuru prison. This must be available on 16 and 17 February.
The court also ordered that Van den Heever’s legal team be allowed to bring in their laptop for the consultations on these two dates.
The matter has been postponed to 26 February 2026.
Pictured above: Cat Matlala and his co-accused in court.
Image source: Palesa Matlala
