WATCH | Cat Matlala’s payment to police officer was ‘boyfriend to girlfriend’, commission hears

The Madlanga commission says the R338,000 a senior police official — who was in a romantic relationship with Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala — received appears to be gratification.

According to a proof of payment receipt sent to Brig Rachel Matjeng, the first payment of R38,000 was made in January 2025 into an FNB account, the details of which she had given to Matlala via WhatsApp.

The second payment was made in February 2025, another one in March 2025 and the last in April 2025.

The account owner is “Modiegi”, owner of Osizweni Meat Market, who appears to be friends with Matjeng.

Explaining the payments, Matjeng said the first was meant for herself, but the other three were for Modiegi, whom Matlala owed. She failed to explain why Matlala would pay Modiegi and then send her a screenshot of the proof of payment.

Matjeng was responsible for overseeing the implementation of the R350m SAPS tender awarded to Matlala in 2024.

Commissioner Mbuyiseli Madlanga told Matjeng that the plausible explanation of the payments was that it was “gratification”.

“You come [here] with the story that Mr Matlala owed this owner, and we see through it; we see right through it. A plausible explanation for these payments was actually what you say they were not [a gratification], because otherwise what you say does not make sense,” he said.

Matjeng told the commission that when she learned about the tender being awarded to Matlala, she tried to recuse herself, but her superior refused and told her it was her responsibility.

In her statement before the commission, Matjeng said the money she received from Matlala was from a boyfriend to his partner.

“The monies and gifts received from Matlala from 2017 are gifts from a boyfriend. None of the gifts from him were related to me having an influence on the awarding of the tender or the execution of the tender,” she said.

Matlala’s company, Medicare24, secured the contract to provide health services to SAPS employees in 2024, but it was later cancelled by national police commissioner Gen Fanie Masemola, who cited alleged procurement irregularities.

Masemola alleged that the contract was awarded under questionable circumstances. The SAPS has since launched an investigation into the awarding of the contract.

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