By Anita Dangazele
- Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala withdrew from his plea deal on Monday, after a magistrate rejected the agreed eight-year sentence and proposed 12 years instead.
- With the deal now void, the condition shielding him from questions about the SAPS tender at the Madlanga Commission may no longer apply.
Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala has walked away from his plea deal with the state, and the National Prosecuting Authority says it did not expect it, even after talking to his legal team beforehand.
Matlala pleaded guilty on 25 June to seven counts of fraud, corruption and money laundering, linked to a R360 million SAPS tender awarded to his company, Medicare24 Tshwane District. Under his original deal with the state, he agreed to serve an effective eight years in prison and testify against senior police officers implicated alongside him, in exchange for the lighter sentence.
On 1 July, magistrate Ignatius du Preez rejected that agreement, saying eight years was too lenient for the seriousness of Matlala’s crimes. He proposed 12 years instead and gave Matlala until Monday, 13 July, to decide whether to accept it.
On Monday, Matlala confirmed in court that he was withdrawing from the deal entirely, rather than accept the tougher sentence. His two co-accused companies, Medicare24 and Luxo Africa Brand Investments, withdrew alongside him.
The magistrate declared the agreement null and void and postponed the matter to 11 September, so the state and defence can decide how to proceed. Matlala remains in custody.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago called the outcome a “blow” to the prosecution.
“We really have to accept what the court has indicated. Obviously, it was not within our control as we had agreed,” he told reporters.
“We arrived in this court not knowing what the decision is going to be. We were as shocked as everybody else, but it comes with the territory and that’s one thing that people need to understand.”
With the deal no longer in effect, Kganyago confirmed the state cannot rely on anything it contained, including any testimony Matlala may have given against senior police officials. “Nothing that was in that plea can be used,” he said.
The Investigating Directorate Against Corruption will continue its investigation independently.
Matlala is now expected to face a full trial.
“Because by not accepting the plea, he’s basically saying, I will want to go full force with the trial, so that’s what is going to happen,” Kganyago said, adding that the state remains confident in its evidence.
Matlala is still expected to testify before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, which is investigating corruption and political interference in the criminal justice system, on Wednesday, 15 July.
He had reportedly agreed to appear on condition he would not be questioned about the Medicare24 tender, since that matter was tied up in his plea deal. With the deal now null and void, that condition may no longer hold.
Asked about this, Kganyago said the state has no say over what the commission asks.
“We cannot tell the commission what to do, but yeah, they can ask whatever question that they want to ask, and especially now under the circumstance when we have got this plea now being null and void. Therefore, I think they will do what they are supposed to do, and we will go if we are needed to go. But for now, we leave it to the commission.”
A separate trial, on charges of attempted murder linked to the shooting of his former partner, Tebogo Thobejane, is also due to begin on 20 July at the Gauteng High Court.
Pictured above: National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago called the outcome a “blow” to the prosecution.
Image source: Supplied
