‘No BBL, just Ozempic’: Cat Matlala’s cop ‘girlfriend’ tells Madlanga commission

A senior South African Police Service (Saps) official has rejected allegations that she underwent the Brazilian butt lift (BBL) cosmetic procedure, insisting that her only request to tenderpreneur Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala was for the weight-loss drug, Ozempic.

Brigadier Rachel Matjeng, who serves in Saps’ forensic services division, returned on Friday to testify before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry investigating criminality, political interference and corruption in the criminal justice system.

Cat Matlala tender links

Matjeng is responsible for criminal records and crime scene management and was among several Saps officials named in the commission’s interim report for further investigation.

She played an oversight role in the implementation of a R360 million Saps contract awarded in June 2024 to Medicare24 Tshwane District, a healthcare subsidiary linked to Matlala.

The contract was terminated in May 2025 after R48 million had been paid out.

Although evidence presented to the commission showed that Matlala made multiple payments to Matjeng, she denied that the money was linked to the tender.

Instead, she maintained that the payments were personal in nature, telling the commission that she and Matlala were in an on-and-off romantic relationship.

Madlanga commission continues

Continuing with her evidence on Friday, Matjeng was questioned about WhatsApp exchanges with Matlala in February 2025, in which Matlala asked her for a code that would allow him to submit claims for non-arrival fees.

Matjeng explained that Matlala sought to claim for 337 police officers who had failed to attend scheduled medical surveillance appointments, out of a total of 553 bookings.

She contacted Matlala to arrange additional appointments for officers who had not attended, arguing that this was done to minimise fruitless and wasteful expenditure for Saps.

ALSO READ: Cat Matlala frustrated as attempt to go back to Gauteng prison stalls, hints at fresh bail bid

According to Matjeng, 105 officers attended the rescheduled appointments, reducing the number of non-arrivals to 215.

A further round of bookings in September 2024 brought the number down to 144.

“I wanted to reduce the wasteful expenditure so it can be less with Medicare,” she said.

She told the commission that she did not understand why Matlala requested the code in question.

Watch Madlanga commission of inquiry below:

Matjeng later sent him a list of 144 officers who had not attended after learning that he intended to claim for 337 non-arrivals.

She explained that Matlala was inexperienced as a service provider and required assistance.

“What I did by sending him the list, I’m actually saving the organisation. Otherwise he could have claimed for more than 300,” Matjeng told the committee.

Matjeng added that Matlala ultimately did not submit a claim for the 144 missed appointments.

Commissioner questions her involvement

Commissioner Sesi Baloyi questioned Matjeng’s involvement, noting that she was not “the contract manager” and that Saps systems should have automatically detected any inflated claims.

“The Saps system would have picked it up and said to him ‘you are only entitled to claim for 140’,”Baloyi said.

The commissioner also referred to Matjeng’s earlier testimony in which she stated that she was not responsible for managing the tender.

READ MORE: ‘Nobody is allowed to see him’: Cat Matlala’s lawyer raises concern over transfer to KZN prison

In response, Matjeng acknowledged the existence of internal safeguards, but argued that they were not foolproof.

“They do have a system, but sometimes you will have administration flaws.”

She also denied that her intervention would have enabled Matlala’s claims to be submitted and paid more quickly.

Ozempic and BBL allegations

The inquiry also examined messages sent on 3 March 2025, in which Matjeng asked Matlala to purchase the weight-loss medication Ozempic for her.

The drug is primarily prescribed for diabetes.

Matlala responded that Ozempic’s price of R4 500 was “hectic”.

Matjeng explained she approached Matlala “as a boyfriend” to buy three pens of Ozempic because she was struggling to access the medication despite having a valid prescription.

She told the commission that she uses the drug “the normal way” and denied undergoing a BBL procedure.

“I’m just explaining because I was told that Ozempic will go hand in hand with BBL and those I’m seeing at work who did the BBL, they also use Ozempic.

“So for me, from my boyfriend, I only ask for Ozempic, unlike those that ask for BBL,” Matjeng said.

She added that a BBL typically costs between R70 000 and R80 000.

“If I had asked him for a BBL, he was going to finance it.”

Matjeng clarified she addressed the issue after social media users accused her on Thursday of having had cosmetic surgery.

“So, I’m just saying no, I did not get the BBL.”

NOW READ: ‘Friend or brother’ – KZN Hawks head details how he met ‘Cat’ Matlala