Vusimuzi Matlala Claims IDAC Wanted Bheki Cele Arrested, Asked Him to Fabricate Evidence

• Vusimuzi Matlala continued his testimony at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry on 11 November 2026
• Matlala's testimony about money he gave to Cele contradicted his testimony before the Ad Hoc Committee
• The tenderpreneur also alleged that IDAC investigators wanted to arrest the former police minister

Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has spent a decade reporting on South Africa's political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online journalism.

GAUTENG — Investigators from the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) intended to arrest former Police Minister Bheki Cele as part of a targeted sweep, according to testimony by Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.

Matlala testified that Cele was among several high-profile figures earmarked for arrest once a plea agreement between himself and the state was finalised earlier this year. He claimed investigators became visibly frustrated when the deal collapsed after he rejected the court's proposed 12-year prison sentence.

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"I remember, even when I refused to take the plea, they were very angry because they said on Friday, they were supposed to go in and arrest him... it was not only him, but now because we are on Mr Cele, he was part of the people who were supposed to be arrested after I took the plea," Matlala said.

According to Matlala, investigators actively pushed to build a corruption case against the former minister. He alleged that IDAC officials instructed him in March to fabricate the history of his interactions with Cele and inserted inflated claims into his draft statement about money he gave to the former minister.

Matlala admitted to giving Cele money

While Matlala insisted that the state's case was exaggerated to justify charging Cele, he acknowledged that money did change hands.

He testified that he personally handed Cele R200,000 in cash at his Pretoria apartment, with the late Bongani "Mabonga" Mpungose present. According to Matlala, the payment was not directly solicited by Cele, but rather arranged via Mpungose, who conveyed that Cele expected a gesture of appreciation for assisting Matlala in retaining his firearms.

Matlala stated he negotiated the amount down to R200,000 after Mpungose initially suggested R500,000.

This testimony directly conflicts with his earlier statements to Parliament's Ad Hoc Committee, where Matlala claimed Cele demanded R1 million directly and received R500,000 across two instalments. At the Commission, Matlala dismissed the R1 million figure as a fabrication introduced by IDAC investigators.

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Cyril Ramaphosa's name surfaces during Matlala's testimony

Briefly News reported that Matlala continued his testimony before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry on 26 August 2026.

During the testimony of the controversial tenderpreneur, he shared a document related to Cyril Ramaphosa.

Matlala also told the Commission that he forwarded several documents without reviewing their contents.

Source: Briefly News