Matlala says suspended police general Sibiya was only an acquaintance, not a friend
PRETORIA — Alleged underworld figure Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala told the Madlanga Commission on Monday that suspended deputy police commissioner General Shadrack...
PRETORIA — Alleged underworld figure Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala told the Madlanga Commission on Monday that suspended deputy police commissioner General Shadrack Sibiya was not a close ally, describing him instead as “someone that I knew.” The denial came as evidence leader Mahlape Sello pressed Matlala to spell out the nature of the relationship.
Matlala resumed testimony after a delay caused by his legal team. The exchange quickly turned tense. Asked directly to describe the connection in his own words, he hesitated, then said it was “not a friendship relationship.”
Short. Plain. Defensive.
Matlala resists deeper questions
Sello kept pushing for clarity, asking what the relationship was if Sibiya was not a friend. Matlala replied that he felt he was being pushed into territory he did not want to cover, and said he did not want to “tap into the content of the investigation.”
He said he feared incriminating himself if he went further. That line has become a familiar one in Matlala’s testimony before the commission, where he has repeatedly drawn boundaries around questions he says could expose him to legal risk.
The hearing is part of the wider Madlanga Commission proceedings examining alleged corruption and criminal influence around South Africa’s policing structures. Matlala has already faced questions about a string of figures linked to police, business and tender dealings.
A pattern of denials
His answer on Sibiya followed a similar pattern in recent testimony. Matlala has denied improper ties to former KwaZulu-Natal Hawks head Lesetja Senona, saying their relationship was “brotherly” rather than corrupt and insisting they were not friends, even while acknowledging regular meetings for advice and one joint business venture that is now under criminal investigation.
He has also rejected claims of close links to alleged Big Five cartel figures Steven Motsumi and Jotham “Mswazi” Msibi, saying he knew them but did not have a close relationship with either man. In one session, evidence leaders presented WhatsApp chats that appeared to show business discussions, including references to payments, a jet purchase and other ventures.
Matlala has also been asked about other people in his orbit, including Mike van Wyk, whom he said was not a friend, and Brown Mogotsi, whom he said he had no dealings with before a raid on his home. He told the commission he did not wish to incriminate himself because Van Wyk had been the chief executive of his company, Medicare, which held a contract with the South African Police Service.
What comes next
The commission’s focus on Matlala’s network has widened because of the overlap between alleged criminal figures, police officials and business links. Each denial narrows the immediate question, but also leaves investigators to test the paper trail, phone records and testimony already placed before the panel.
For now, Matlala’s position on Sibiya is clear: not a friend, just someone he knew. He said he would not go further. The commission is still left with that answer — and the next round of questioning.
