The lawyer representing alleged criminal boss Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala has raised serious concerns about his detention at a super-maximum security facility in KwaZulu-Natal, saying the conditions are hampering access to her client and undermining preparations for a fair trial.

The concerns were raised on Thursday during Matlala’s first pre-trial appearance in the Johannesburg High Court, where he appeared alongside four co-accused, including his wife, Tsakani Matlala.

Matlala, 49, a businessman, faces 11 counts of attempted murder. 

The State alleges he orchestrated a hit on his former girlfriend, actress and socialite Tebogo Thobejane, and was involved in other attempted murders targeting high-profile figures.

He was alongside Musa Kekana, Tiego Floyd Mabusela, Tsakani Matlala and Mabusela’s daughter, Nthabiseng Nzama.

The charges stem primarily from the 2023 shooting of Thobejane on the N1 highway near Sandton. Thobejane, known for her role in “Muvhango”, was shot in the foot during the attack. 

A female passenger travelling with her sustained a severe spinal injury and was left paralysed.

Nzama faces a charge of money laundering, with the State alleging she facilitated the transfer of funds between bank accounts while knowing the money was derived from criminal activity.

The State has consolidated three cases against Matlala. 

These include the attempted murder of taxi owner Joe Sibanyoni in 2022, the shooting of Thobejane in 2023, and a botched hit on DJ Seunkie Mokubung, also known as DJ Vettys, in 2024.

The matter has also been expanded to include two Pretoria dockets linked to the August 2022 shooting of Sibanyoni outside Centurion Golf Estate and the January 2024 shooting of Mokubung in Pretoria West.

Matlala’s lawyer, Anneline van den Heever, told the court that accessing her client at the eBongweni Correctional Centre in Kokstad had become “a nightmare”.

She said the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) describes the facility as the country’s only super-maximum prison, where inmates are confined to segregated cells for 23 hours a day and allowed only one hour of exercise.

Van den Heever said consulting Matlala requires flying to Durban, renting a car and travelling more than three hours to the facility, followed by additional delays before access is granted.

“Then, to consult, he sits behind thick glass where you can barely hear each other, with people around listening,” she said, adding that consultations were allegedly monitored or recorded.

“As a result, your access to your client for trial or pre-trial preparation is reduced to an hour, maybe two.”

She told the court that repeated attempts to consult Matlala were blocked by DCS officials, who initially claimed he had different legal representatives. 

Even after confirming her status as his instructing attorney, a scheduled consultation was abruptly cancelled after the area commissioner allegedly barred all visits.

She claimed that efforts to reach senior officials, including the national commissioner, Makgothi Thobakgale and the minister, Dr Pieter Groenewald, were unsuccessful.

Van den Heever argued that the restrictions were preventing proper trial preparation and could compromise Matlala’s right to a fair trial. 

She said the defence would seek a preferential trial date once pre-trial issues were resolved but stressed that meaningful consultation with her client was essential.

Senior State prosecutor Elize Le Roux said the decision to transfer Matlala to the facility was handled solely by DCS and not by the prosecution. 

She said the State had no involvement in, or control over, his placement.

Matlala was transferred to the eBongweni Correctional Centre in December 2025 as part of heightened security measures for high-risk inmates. 

Authorities have declined to provide further details but confirmed the facility is equipped to house dangerous and high-profile prisoners.

The accused previously appeared in the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court in 2025, where the transfer of the matter to the High Court was confirmed.

Meanwhile, Judge William Karam postponed the matter to Friday, February 6, to allow counsel to consult with one another regarding efforts to have Matlala transferred to a correctional facility in Gauteng, closer to the Court’s jurisdiction.

Tsakani Matlala and Nzama remain out on bail of R20,000 and R10,000, respectively, with their bail conditions extended. 

Kekana, Mabusela and Matlala remain in custody.

Kekana and Mabusela previously abandoned their bail applications, while Matlala was denied bail in October.

simon.majadibodu@iol.co.za

IOL News

Source link