Witness F has told the Madlanga commission that Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala had access to generals other than suspended Deputy National Police Commissioner General Shadrack Sibiya.
The witness returned to the commission on Wednesday and explained how Matlala was a regular at the South African Police Service (Saps) head office.
On Tuesday, Witness F denied having introduced Sibiya and the tenderpreneur.
“Sometime around December 2023, General Sibiya called me to his office. On my arrival, he said there was someone downstairs. Could you go and collect him? I proceeded there at the head office,” explained Witness F.
ALSO READ: Texts from Witness F’s phone appear to corroborate Matlala’s version
“On my arrival, I found someone known to me: Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala. I asked him: What are you doing here? He said I’m here to see General Sibiya. I’ve won a tender with Saps, so I have a challenge with it. I’m here to complain about that. I took him to the said office. On my arrival, I delivered Matlala.
“General Sibiya then said to me: because most of the time, his phone is off or silent, he might be in the meetings or parliament, does Mr Cat Matlala mind communicating with him via me? Because I am the one who regularly sees General Sibiya even after hours for work purposes.
“I personally did not see any problem with that because at that time, Matlala was a legit businessman, and he also informed me that he won a tender with Saps. I did not have a problem at all. That is how I met Matlala.”
‘Matlala visited everyone’
However, Witness F told the commission that Sibiya was not the only general the tenderpreneur would visit at the head office.
“I learned about it as we started communicating with Matlala. He would tell me that I am coming to the head office, but I’m not coming to General Sibiya; I’m coming to the national commissioner, Fannie Masemola, or the head of organised crime, Major-General Richard Shibiri. That is how I learned that Matlala has access to most of the generals in the head office, other than General Sibiya,” said Witness F.
Months later, on 14 September 2024, Matlala, Shibiri and Witness F attended a thanksgiving ceremony at Sibiya’s house.
NOW READ: ‘He loves money a lot’ – Inside Matlala’s relationship with Shadrack Sibiya
About the Author
