Tenderpreneur Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala has shared personal details about his life, revealing to parliament that he has nine children with his wife, Tsakani.
Matlala appeared before parliament’s ad hoc committee investigating allegations of corruption in the criminal justice system on Wednesday at the Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre in Pretoria, where he is being held.
“I’m married and I have nine children with my wife,” Matlala said. “I support all my children.”
In a lighter moment, evidence leader Norman Arendse inquired about Matlala’s nickname, “Cat”, asking if it referenced the saying that a cat has nine lives or if it was simply due to his nine children.
“Nine children,” Matlala replied.
The 49-year-old businessman said he grew up in Mamelodi, Pretoria, raised by a single mother, and attended Lethlabile High School in the township. He became involved in business after matriculating, initially buying and selling goods. This led to his arrest in 2001 for dealing in illegal items, resulting in a four-year prison sentence.
In 2017 he formally registered a security business, which subsequently expanded into other ventures.
“My first business was a security business. Then I ended up securing clients from construction sites and health care.”
Matlala was arrested in May and is charged with multiple offences, including attempted murder and money laundering. He is being held at the Kgosi Mampuru prison, where his evidence is being heard.
He was embroiled in the controversial awarding of a R368m SAPS tender to his company, Medicare24 Tshwane District. The contract was cancelled due to irregularities. He told the committee he resigned as a director from Medicare24 in December 2024 but still retains 100% of the shares. The tender had already been awarded at the time of his resignation.
Questioned about his interest in the health-care industry, he said he was approached by businessman Mike van Wyk, the CEO of Medicare24, who presented him with a business opportunity.
If someone is fronting, I don’t think you’ll be 100% in control of their finances. It’s a genuine business deal. They do the management part and manage the clinics, and I had to pay them for the management service
— Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala
“He first asked me what I do for a living, and I told him that besides the security business, I supply medical equipment to hospitals. When I mentioned the word hospitals, that’s when I got his attention because he’s also into health care,” Matlala said.
“He told me he wants to send a proposal to manage clinics in the area, but ‘since you are black, you can have more advantage than us. So why don’t we register the company for you? You get the business, we do the management, and you can take the rest.’”
Asked if Van Wyk wanted him to front for their company, Matlala denied this: “What I believe is if someone is fronting, I don’t think you’ll be 100% in control of their finances. It’s a genuine business deal. They do the management part and manage the clinics, and I had to pay them for the management service.”
Asked about the SAPS tender, Matlala said he did not want to dwell too much on the contract because it is under investigation, which could potentially incriminate him.
TimesLIVE
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