National police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola has labelled as “lies” the testimony of a witness before the Madlanga commission of inquiry who claimed he had met attempted murder accused Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala.
Witness F, a police officer working closely with deputy national commissioner Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya and whose name is being withheld for safety reasons, testified last week that Matlala told him he went to SAPS head office to meet Masemola.
“Matlala would tell me that ‘I am coming to the office, but I am not coming to Sgqoko [Sibiya]. I am coming to the national commissioner.’ That is now Gen Fannie Masemola, or ‘I am coming to Gen [Richard] Shibiri’, or ‘I am coming to Gen Fannie’. That is how I learnt to know that Matlala has access to most of the generals in head office, other than Gen Sibiya,” the witness said.
Speaking to Sowetan’s sister paper Business Day, Masemola said the claim is false.
“No, I have never met the man [Matlala]. I do not know the man. I have never met him. Unless maybe I met him in the streets and he greeted me. It is false. That is false and a lie.”
Matlala, who had a R360m health tender from the SAPS, faces allegations of bankrolling officers.
The commission recently indicated KwaZulu-Natal SAPS commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi would return to the commission to address allegations he met Matlala and offered to halt investigations against him in exchange for information about now-suspended Sibiya.
The allegation was made by KZN Hawks head Maj-Gen Lesetja Senona to the commission.
He told the commission he was present in the meeting in which Mkhwanazi made the offer to Matlala on April 15 2025. Matlala allegedly wanted Mkhwanazi to assist with the payment of purchase orders for his health tender.
The alleged meeting, claimed to have been arranged by former police minister Bheki Cele, took place a month before Matlala was arrested on May 14 2025 and charged with the attempted murder of Tebogo Thobejane.
During cross-examination, Senona however, told the commission he believed Mkhwanazi’s offer to Matlala was an attempt to extract information from him.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.