Former police minister Bheki Cele on Thursday confirmed knowing “very well” attempted murder–accused tenderpreneur Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, but not controversial businessman Brown Mogotsi.

Cele said he first met Matlala in Durban after Bongani Mpungose, a son of a KwaZulu-Natal businessman, arranged for a meeting.

He was responding to questions when the parliamentary inquiry’s chief evidence leader, Advocate Norman Arendse, SC, was leading evidence at the inquiry probing allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.

The inquiry is also probing political interference in the work of the SAPS.

Arendse first asked Cele whether he knew Mogotsi, and he denied knowing him other than “because he was quite big in the media” lately.

He also said Mogotsi was not even on his Whatsapp.

When asked whether he knew Matlala, Cele’s response was “very well”.

He said his first meeting with Matlala was at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Durban.

“I can’t remember the date, but it was after the raid,” he said in reference to a raid that took place at Matlala’s house last December.

“I did not know him before that,” said Cele.

Cele also said Bongani, also known as Mabonga, had not told him he was bringing “somebody else”.

“As they came there, because there was photo of Cat, I said to him ‘You look like Cat?’. He said I am one. I said, Nkosi yam (Oh Lord), what is the story with me and you and all of that?”

Cele also said Matlala had asked to meet him because there were two issues he wanted to raise with him.

“He says Mabonga must bring him to me because he realised he is being used for the political games that he does not understand.

“Firstly, he has met minister (Senzo) Mchunu, him, and Brown Mogotsi. The three of them spoke about him because he has money to fund his (Mchunu’s) project of becoming the president or deputy president,” he said.

“What puzzled him for him to want to meet me is that he was told by the minister ‘we will work together so long you don’t come close to Cele and Zuma’. I don’t know why he mixes me with Zuma.”

Cele also said he did not ask for the details of Mchunu’s funding campaign as “I did not want the details”.

He also said Matlala had informed him about the political games involving raid at his house amid the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) assisting with investigations in Gauteng.

“He comes to me after realising he was abused. He has been approached by (General Shadrack) Sibiya to write an affidavit against the Crime Intelligence head and PKTT project manager (Dumisani) Khumalo, so that Khumalo can be arrested.”

According to Cele, Matlala had told him that the following week where he was taking Khumalo and his team to court for the unlawful raid.

“The reason is that I must take Khumalo to court so that he can lose the case and Sibiya finds a way to disciple him.”

He added that Matlala had told him that he was told the affidavit was written by Sibiya claiming they had stolen his Rolex and jewellery of his wife.

Cele said Matlala had indicated that he did not want to take on the police because he had a tender with them and did not want to harm their relationship.

The former minister said he had advised him to speak to Khumalo to resolve the matter out of court.

“I know the case did not go to court. That is how I got to know him. I wish I could not have met him,” Cele said.

Asked whether he was offered anything, he said Matlala and Mpungose did not make an offer to him.

“They did not say anything about giving a stake. I did not want a stake. The issue was raised by a person who knows me, who is the son of someone we worked with in the taxi industry. There was no price for it.”

Asked whether the affidavit Matlala deposed against Khumalo was fake, Cele said he recalled him saying there was a theft of his Rolex and jewellery.

“The issue was that they got to find a way of dealing with Khumalo. That is why the arrest of Khumalo at a later stage has got issues. They started some time to try to arrest Khumalo.”

The inquiry continues.

mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za

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