High Court reserves judgment in Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala bail appeal

The Johannesburg High Court on Monday reserved judgment in the bail appeal of Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, who is facing charges of attempted murder and money laundering linked to a 2023 plot to kill his ex-girlfriend, socialite Tebogo Thobejane, and her friends.

Matlala, 49, who appeared in court dressed in designer clothing, is one of several individuals implicated in the Madlanga Inquiry and the Parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee investigation. He was arrested in May this year for allegedly orchestrating a failed hit on Thobejane, an incident that has since drawn national attention.

The appeal stems from a decision by the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court, which last month denied Matlala bail. The magistrate found that Matlala posed a flight risk and could interfere with witnesses or ongoing investigations if released.

Matlala’s legal team, led by Advocate Laurence Hodes SC, approached the High Court seeking to overturn the ruling, arguing that the lower court had erred in both its interpretation of the law and its assessment of the facts. The defense maintained that the case had been wrongly classified as a Schedule 6 offense and should have been treated as Schedule 5.

According to Hodes, the Magistrate’s Court incorrectly elevated the severity of the charges, leading to a higher burden of proof for the defense. He said this procedural error, coupled with the lack of direct evidence, made the denial of bail unconstitutional.

Hodes argued that there was no solid evidence linking Matlala to the attempted murder and that the state’s case relied heavily on hearsay and circumstantial material. “There is no direct evidence implicating the appellant in any of these offenses, it is all suspicion and putting together a so-called puzzle on circumstantial evidence,” he told the court.

The defense further emphasized Matlala’s cooperation with law enforcement authorities. Hodes said that since December 2024, his client had been fully aware of the allegations but had never attempted to evade the police. He maintained that Matlala had complied with all requests from the South African Police Service and other investigative bodies, showing that he was not a flight risk.

“That the interests of justice do permit his release on bail. There was nothing untoward or suspicious in his conduct. He had always cooperated with the SAPS and RDAC. He had always appeared. There was no instance where they had requested him to appear, and he hadn’t. There isn’t an instance where he didn’t cooperate,” said Hodes.

However, state prosecutors opposed the application, arguing that Matlala remained a flight risk due to his financial resources and international connections. The prosecution cited a trust in Mauritius and a fraudulent Eswatini passport allegedly linked to Matlala as evidence of his capacity to flee the country.

“My Lord, he then suddenly discloses that fact, which he did not do in his initial affidavit, and it was only upon the fact that he was, I will use the words, caught out, that he has an interest in a trust entity in Mauritius. It was only then that he disclosed that fact to the court,” said a state prosecutor during argument.

The prosecutor added that Matlala’s delayed disclosure demonstrated a lack of honesty and transparency before the court. “The importance of this is it shows that the applicant has continuously been not forthcoming to the court. He cannot be trusted in his oath that he took in his affidavit because clearly, he is not inclined to be honest to the court,” the prosecutor continued.

The state further argued that Matlala’s influence, wealth, and connections could enable him to tamper with evidence or intimidate witnesses. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) confirmed that it is now consolidating several other cases linked to Matlala. Dockets from Pretoria, Vereeniging, and Sandton are being centralized, and additional charges are expected to follow.

Matlala will remain in custody at Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Facility in Pretoria until the judgment is delivered on 24 October 2025.

Meanwhile, videos of Tebogo Thobejane have surfaced on social media platforms such as TikTok, where she addresses people who have been bullying her about the incident. “I don’t know who the bully is or are because no ordinary person finds my situation something that you would want to bully someone about. It’s either that girl that we all know about that is under house arrest or it’s them. They have been doing it for the last three or four years. It’s only that some of us our god is big,” she said.

Thobejane is currently living in an undisclosed country for her safety.