AK-47 Linked to Alleged Hit Plot Revealed in Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala Trial
- Tenderpreneur Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala faces 25 charges including three alleged ordered shootings in the Johannesburg High Court
- A Russian-model AK-47 assault rifle emerged as a key piece of evidence as the state formally read charges into the court record
- All three alleged targets were present in court as the trial got under way on Monday
Source: Getty Images
GAUTENG — A Russian-model AK-47 assault rifle bearing serial number 575363 has become a central exhibit in the state's case against tenderpreneur Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala, as his trial continued in the Johannesburg High Court on Tuesday, 20 July 2026.
Matlala faces 25 charges which include conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, money laundering, fraud, and the unlawful possession of prohibited firearms and ammunition.
State links gun to alleged attacks
According to Daily News, state advocate Elize le Roux repeatedly referenced the firearm while reading the charges into the court record on Monday, citing it in connection with multiple alleged attacks.
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"The accused did unlawfully have in their possession a fully automatic firearm, being a prohibited firearm, to wit a 7.62 39-millimetre Russian-model AK-47 assault rifle with a serial number 575363, without being the holders of a licence," Le Roux told the court.
Three alleged shootings, four co-accused
The 49-year-old businessman faces 25 charges in total. The state alleges he orchestrated three separate shootings between August 2022 and January 2024, targeting his former girlfriend, actress Tebogo Thobejane, taxi boss Joe "Ferrari" Sibanyoni, and music producer Seunkie "DJ Vetteys" Mokubung. Several bystanders were also wounded in the attacks.
Matlala, listed as accused three, stands trial alongside alleged gunmen Musa Kekana, Tiego Floyd Mabusela, his wife Tsakani Matlala and Nthabiseng Zandile Nzama.
According to the indictment, the AK-47 was allegedly used during the 10 August 2022 attack on Sibanyoni at the Centurion Golf Estate, carried out by co-accused one and two on Matlala's instruction.
A firearm of the same calibre and description also features in the counts related to the 17 October 2023 shooting of Thobejane, who was reportedly struck in the foot on a Johannesburg road. Her friend, Anele Alicia Malinga, was also wounded and allegedly left wheelchair-bound as a result.
The presiding judge confirmed the trial will proceed uninterrupted through Friday, 7 August, before pausing from 11 to 28 August. Proceedings are set to resume on 31 August and run until 18 September.
Matlala withdraws plea deal
Briefly News also reported that Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala withdrew his plea agreement with the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).The tenderpreneur, who is at the centre of a multimillion-rand corruption case, originally entered into a deal with the State after he pleaded guilty to charges of fraud, corruption and money laundering linked to the awarding of a R228 million Medicare24 SAPS tender.
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Source: Briefly News
