Former police minister Bheki Cele confirmed his relationship with Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala but says they only met in December.
Parliament’s ad hoc committee into police corruption has heard about the alleged political ambitions of suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu.
Former police minister Bheki Cele appeared before the committee on Thursday, the day after his successor had wrapped up his own appearance.
Relaxed and forthcoming, Cele spoke candidly about the figures who have captivated the committee these past three weeks.
Mchunu’s presidency aspirations
Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala has been central to the committee’s evidence, and when asked if he knew Matlala, Cele responded, “very well”.
He explained that he had met Matlala for the first time in December 2024 at the Beverley Hills Hotel in Durban.
This meeting happened after a raid at Matlala’s home, with the businessman asking a mutual acquaintance to arrange a meeting with Cele.
Cele relayed how Matlala told him he felt he was being used for “political games”, having just received a R360 million tender for health risk services.
Cele told the committee that Matlala had claimed to have met Mchunu and Brown Mogotsi, with the pair allegedly asking Matlala to help fund Mchunu’s bid for a senior ANC position — “either president or deputy president, I don’t know”, said Cele.
“What puzzled him there, for him to want to meet me, he was told by the minister that ‘we will work together so long as we don’t come close to Cele and Zuma,’” said Cele.
Cele stated he had no relationship with Brown Mogotsi, but confirmed he had several more meetings with Matlala.
Matlala, Cele and Sibiya
A second topic was broached at the meeting at the high-end hotel in Durban, which was the fallout from a raid that occurred at Matlala’s Gauteng home early in December.
Cele told the committee that Matlala felt the raid was a setup, as he was soon approached by Deputy National Police Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya.
Cele said Matlala was instructed to take Crime Intelligence head Major General Dumisani Khumalo to court over the raid so that Sibiya could find a way to “discipline” Khumalo.
Matlala said he didn’t want to take the police to court as he just received a police-related tender, and that Matlala felt Cele could help smooth matters over.
He advised Matlala to meet with Khumalo himself and said he was unaware if such a meeting had taken place, but was certain the matter did not go to court.
Chief evidence leader Norman Arendse suggested Matlala was attempting to trap Cele in a conspiracy, but Cele said his priority was to defend Khumalo from an orchestrated attack.
Authority to disband PKTT
The issue of disestablishing the KwaZulu-Natal Political Killing Task Team (PKTT) was raised earlier in the day, with Cele stating his opposition to the move.
The former minister rubbished any suggestion that disbanding the PKTT was acceptable because death tolls were low and the unit was costing too much money.
He used the money spent on protection for ministers as a cost-result comparison.
“If the measurement is that we withdraw the focus in dealing with this violence because only one person had died, we can also withdraw where there is nobody who has died,” said Cele.
He expressed an opinion on the alleged steps taken by Mchunu to dissolved the PKTT via ministerial action.
“In my view, the PKTT was established under the inter-ministerial committee (IMC) under the president and therefore, only the IMC could disestablish it.
“The IMC consists of ministries that form the multidisciplinary team, not the political incumbents who may change with each administration. The IMC therefore continued to exist,” said Cele.
He explained that Mchunu should have discussed the matter with the president if he was unsure of the IMC’s authority.
“I am not going to make a conclusion if it is illegal — I am not a lawyer — but procedurally, I do not agree with it,” said Cele.
Police frustrations
Relaxed throughout the morning session, the 73-year-old former minister had earlier opened up about the morale of officers on the ground.
He said the repeated released of arrested suspects on bail was leaving police officers frustrated at having to arrest the same people multiple times.
He used an example from Thembisa, where he claimed one man facing a combined 43 charges relating to cash-in-transit heists was released and arrested five times before finally being sentenced to life.
Another example used by Cele was that of a man released on bail after witnesses had testified to crimes which saw him facing a life sentence.
“That thing called bail is a mess. Some of the people he went after are those that gave evidence against him for him to get life. This is the animal called bail,” said Cele.
He stated his appreciation that accused persons had rights, but said questions needed to be asked of the judiciary and correctional services — who were allowing criminals to operate from prison.
“I’m not talking about changing or right or wrong, but from the side of the police, that will be the problem.
“What about these police that arrest this person and still have to encounter this same person on the field and they exchange fire again?” Cele asked.
NOW READ: PKTT added ‘minimal value’ – Mchunu finds ally in PA’s Ashley Sauls
