Matlala was transferred to eBongweni Correctional Centre in Kokstad last December.
Tenderpreneur Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala has raised concerns about his continued detention at a correctional facility far from Gauteng, with his legal team requesting that he be transferred closer to the court where his case is being heard.
Matlala appeared before the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg on Thursday alongside four co-accused for a pre-trial hearing after their case was transferred from the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court.
Among accused include Matlala’s wife, Tsakani, hitmen Musa Kekana and Tiego Floyd Mabusela, as well as Mabusela’s daughter, Nthabiseng Nzama.
The group is facing multiple serious charges, ranging from attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder to fraud, money laundering and defeating the ends of justice.
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The charges are linked mainly to the attempted killing of actress Tebogo Thobejane in October 2023. She was shot at while driving along the N1 highway near Sandton.
The accused are also implicated in the 2022 attempted murder of taxi owner Joe Sibanyoni, as well as a separate, unsuccessful attempt on the life of Seunkie Mokubung, popularly known as DJ Vettys, in 2024.
Tsakani Matlala and Nzama have since been released on bail, set at R20 000 and R10 000 respectively.
Kekana and Mabusela abandoned their bail applications, while Matlala remains in custody after his bail was refused in October 2025.
State confirms disclosure of docket
During proceedings, prosecutor Elize le Roux told the court that the state had disclosed the docket to the defence in August last year.
She also confirmed that all the related cases had been centralised.
However, Le Roux noted that Matlala and his wife had since appointed new legal representation, which meant that their current legal team only received the docket last week.
She further revealed that the prosecution had received a request from the couple’s lawyers for downloads of all electronic devices in the state’s possession.
“I must say at the outset that that material does not form part of my case docket, but be that as it may, the state is generous and we will give it to them,” Le Roux said, adding that the downloads amounted to one terabyte (TB).
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Matlala’s new legal representative, Advocate Annelene van den Heever, raised concerns about the contents of the docket, saying the source of some documents was unclear.
She argued that there were “lacunas” in the disclosure.
“We are still going to ask for additional disclosure. It’s clear that there’s issues in the docket,” Van den Heever said.
“Our client for various reasons wishes to have a speedy trial in this matter and for that reason, this disclosure and pre-trial needs to happen as quickly as possible.”
Van den Heever also questioned why information retrieved from electronic devices was not included in the docket.
“It’s not what the state intends to use. We are entitled to evidentiary material in possession of the state that can be exculpatory to our client or that can assist in defending his case.”
Cat Matlala’s transfer to eBongweni prison
Van den Heever further complained about Matlala’s transfer to eBongweni Correctional Centre in Kokstad, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), on 21 December 2025, describing the facility as being “quite far away”.
“That started causing severe issues with consultation,” she said.
Matlala, who was arrested in May 2025, was transferred from Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre in Pretoria, where he had previously given evidence before Parliament’s ad hoc committee.
He was earlier found in possession of a cellphone in prison in July 2025, prior to his transfer.
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Le Roux told the court that neither the state nor the investigating officer had requested Matlala’s relocation.
She said the decision was made by the Department of Correctional Services, citing security concerns.
“They feel there are security concerns. I can’t take that further, I obviously don’t have enough information,” the prosecutor said.
Defence cites limited access to Cat Matlala
Van den Heever expressed concern about the logistical challenges posed by the transfer, highlighting that the legal team would need to fly to Durban, travel three-and-a-half hours to Kokstad followed by additional delays before access is granted to consult with Matlala.
“Then to consult, he sits behind a thick glass where you can barely hear each other with people around you listening to what’s going on,” 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.”
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She further told the court that the defence team had encountered hurdles, such as when a scheduled consultation was suddenly cancelled “in the middle of night”.
“Notice was given by the area commissioner that nobody is allowed to see him and the only person that can deal with it is the commissioner himself.”
She added that attempts to contact senior officials — including Correctional Services National Commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale and Minister Pieter Groenewald — had proven difficult.
Defence seeks postponement
Van den Heever warned that Matlala’s right to a fair trial could be compromised if the situation was not resolved.
“If our client is again taken back to Kokstad, we are then sitting in a position where we will be effectively barred from doing proper consultation.”
She also pointed out that it would take many hours for the defence to review the 1TB of information requested from the state.
“We wish the client to be detained at any facility that makes him accessible to the defence.”
Van den Heever asked for a postponement to allow the defence and the state to engage on finding a detention facility closer to the court.
She cautioned that if no agreement was reached, the defence would launch an urgent application.
Judge William Karam postponed the matter to 6 February.
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