Pretoria – Shady South African businessman Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala pleaded guilty to corruption and fraud charges at Pretoria’s Specialised Commercial Court on Thursday.
Matlala’s company, Medicare24 Thwane District, was unregularly awarded a R330 million South African Police Service (SAPS) tender around 2023.
Under a Section 105A plea agreement reached with the Investigating Directorate, he admitted to all seven counts of fraud, corruption, and money laundering in connection with the contentious tender. 
Facing related charges on the tender mess are 16 others, including high-ranking police, among them suspended police commissioner Fannie Masemola. He faces charges of violating the Public Finance Management Act.
He took an oath that he freely and voluntarily pleads guilty. His plea could empower the prosecution’s case against the remainder standing trial, turning him into a state witness.
According to eNCA, the state says Matlala has drafted a statement which disclosed the involvement of several high-profile people involved in the matter and other such matters.
On the advice of his attorney, he agreed to 15 years of direct imprisonment with a seven-year suspended sentence.
The prosecution also concurred. “Your worship, the state submits that all factors taken into consideration, the state has pursued this plea and sentence agreement because of what accused number one has offered to the state.
“And it’s not an offer up in the air. It’s an offer in terms of an affidavit with supporting documents to corroborate the reliability and the credibility of what he has indicated to us. Your worship, we wish to make a difference in the country. For far too long has corruption been destroying this country.”
Matlala has been separated from the main fraud and corruption proceedings linked to the Medicare24 tender and will now proceed independently in the regional court.
To confirm if the plea and sentencing agreement was true, the magistrate referred to Matlala’s statement in paragraphs 29 to 55.
Matlala said he understood them. He represents his businesses linked to the tender, cited as accused two and three.
He still faces attempted murder charges. He is accused of masterminding the attempted hits on his ex-girlfriend Tebogo Thobejane, DJ Vettys and taxi boss Joe ‘Ferrari’ Sibanyoni.
