General Mkhwanazi Highlights Bheki Cele’s Involvement in Controversial Medicare24 Contract

• General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi raised concerns about a “questionable” relationship between former Minister Bheki Cele and Vusimuzi Cat Matlala
• The General highlighted Cele’s alleged efforts to assist Matlala during the awarding of the Medicare24 contract
• While no direct involvement in the contract has been proven, communications and meetings between the two have raised red flags for the investigative team

DURBAN – General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi returned to the Ad Hoc Committee today to close proceedings, reiterating concerns about the relationship between former Minister Bheki Cele and Vusimuzi Cat Matlala.

Mkhwanazi highlighted what he described as a “questionable” relationship, particularly in connection with efforts by Cele to have Matlala assisted during the awarding of the Medicare24 contract.

Mkhwanazi said Bheki Cele went to incredible lengths to contact officials who could help Matlala when he was faing challenges with the contract.

Mkwanazi clarifies on his apology

At the start of proceedings, Mkhwanazi was asked to explain why he had sent an apology to Cele regarding earlier testimony suggesting Cele was connected to Matlala through money transfers uncovered by the investigative team.

Read also

General Mkhwanazi details how Cat Matlala mistakenly paid unemployed man thinking he was Bheki Cele

He clarified:

“The money was sent to a Mr. Cele, but upon further investigation, it became clear that it was not General Bheki Cele. It was another Mr. Cele whom Matlala had mistakenly believed to be the former minister.”

Suspicious communications between Cele and Matlala

Despite this clarification, Mkhwanazi stressed that his investigation had uncovered interactions that raised concern.

“What made me believe in the first place that Matlala would have sent money to Cele was the relationship between the two,” he said.

He further said that as the investigation team began interacting, they began to see communications between Matlala and Cele. That is what became suspicious.

"Why would General Cele be in communication with such a person?” he said.

Cele puts pressure to meet officials over contract

Mkhwanazi cited information from Lieutenant General Nkhuoa, head of Human Resources at SAPS, that indicated to him that General Cele was adamant that they wanted to see her in order to discuss the contract that Matlala had in the police because there were no orders coming.

Read also

General Mkhwanazi’s 2Pac message presented at Madlanga Commission, SA amused

“After the Durban engagement, she said to me that Cele was so adamant that he wanted to travel to Welkom when she was in Welkom to come and meet with her

" It is that which made us realise there was an effort from General Cele to make sure that Matlala is assisted to some degree,”he said.

Use of accommodation and other indications

Mkhwanazi also highlighted Cele's use of Matlala's Pretoria accommodation, previously disclosed to the commission. He stated that all of the incidents made the team feel there indeed was something questionable about the relationship between the two.

“We are not saying there is any role that the General played in the awarding of the contract. But when this awarding of the contract process started, Minister Mchunu was not in the organisation at the time.”

Cele explains how he met Vusimuzi Cat Matlala

In a related article, Bheki Cele explained how he met Vusimuzi Cat Matlala. During this Ad Hoc committee meeting testimony, Cele said that he met Matlala at Maumela's house in Zimbali Estate in KwaZulu-Natal. He said that he was stunned when he saw Matlala's security team. Cele said that Matlala told him that he recruited 23 of his bodyguards from the South African National Defence Force's Special Task Force. Cele said that he was stunned.

Read also

Witness testifies about how Musa Khawula dodged arrest

Briefly News also reported that General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi weighed in on whether former Police Minister Bheki Cele supported the work that the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) did after Chief Evidence Leader, Advocate Norman Arendse, asked Mkhwanazi if Cele was a supporter of the PKTT. Mkhwanazi dismissed the notion and said that Cele, as a minister of Police, was satisfied with the work that the task team was doing; however, he was not a supporter, as the PKTT was not a football team.

Source: Briefly News