Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala’s Madlanga Commission of Inquiry Testimony Postponed Until September

• Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala was scheduled to appear before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry in Pretoria on 15 July 2026
• During his brief appearance before the Commission, his lawyer argued for why they needed a postponement in the matter
• The controversial tenderpreneur is also scheduled to undergo trial in connection with the alleged attempted murder of his former girlfriend

Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.

GAUTENG - Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala will not testify before the Madlanga Commission until 1 September 2026, after his legal team and the Commission's evidence leaders reached a consensus on a postponement.

The commission noted that Matlala's testimony, once it proceeds, is expected to run across multiple days. He is required to file his statement before 29 July to allow the evidence leaders time to review his material before cross-examination begins.

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Why was Matlala's testimony postponed?

The postponement was driven by Matlala's attorney, Annelene van den Heever, who raised constitutional concerns about the timing of his appearance. She noted that Matlala was due to stand trial the following week in connection with the 2023 alleged attempted murder of his former girlfriend, actress Tebogo Thobejane. She argued that requiring him to testify before the commission at this point would undermine his rights as an accused person, including his right to a fair trial and the presumption of innocence.

Complicating the matter further, the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court recently rejected an initial eight-year plea agreement in Matlala’s criminal case related to a police tender, with the court proposing a harsher 12-year sentence instead.

With the plea deal in legal limbo, van den Heever contended that compelling her client to speak about the alleged R228-million South African Police Service medical tender or his criminal associations before the matter was resolved would expose him to a real risk of self-incrimination.

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The commission accepted the reasoning and stood the testimony down accordingly.

Source: Briefly News