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Wed, Oct 22, 2025

News

Underworld Runs Government Procurement

Underworld Runs Government Procurement

By: Matshidiso Selebeleng

Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, the flamboyant Pretoria-based businessman known as the city’s “tender king,” has emerged as the central figure in a sprawling procurement scandal that has exposed deep-rooted collusion between criminal syndicates and the state.

Recent revelations about his dealings with government officials have sparked allegations that a powerful underworld cartel has captured parts of the state and key political figures.

Matlala is currently being held at Kgosi Mampuru Maximum Security Prison on serious charges, including attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and money laundering.

Once celebrated for securing multimillion-rand government tenders through his health and security companies, his empire began to unravel in 2024 when his firm, Medicare24, was controversially awarded a R360 million contract by the South African Police Service.

The tender was later revoked by National Commissioner Fannie Masemola following allegations of fraud and irregularities.

His name has since been linked to a broader criminal syndicate reportedly involving politicians, police officers, and prosecutors—allegedly operating under the influence of a transnational drug cartel. Matlala is also tied to a string of high-profile assassinations, including that of DJ Sumbody (Oupa Sefoka), whistleblower Babita Deokaran, and the attempted murder of his ex-girlfriend, actress Tebogo Thobejane, and her friend.

Investigators allege that Matlala orchestrated Deokaran’s murder after she flagged irregularities linked to his companies in the Tembisa Hospital tender files. It is further claimed that the hospital was later set on fire to destroy key evidence of procurement fraud.

In a recent breakthrough, police arrested suspects in the 2022 killings of DJ Sumbody and his bodyguard, including prominent businessman Katiso Molefe, a figure reportedly tied to several other underworld assassinations.

The firearm used in DJ Sumbody’s murder was also linked to the killing of Armand Swart—an alleged case of mistaken identity involving a whistleblower who had exposed a 4,500% procurement fraud at Transnet.

Security strategist and former Interpol Ambassador Mahlomola Mashaile explained how these criminal networks operate: “They use either money or fear to control access to tenders. Often, they’ll approach an unsuspecting insider for information and then offer a large payout to ensure continued cooperation.”

Mashaile warned that individuals who resist the syndicates or have no affiliation with their operations often become targets. While investigations continue, it is unlikely that the R50 million already paid to Matlala from the SAPS contract will be recovered.

His case underscores how entrenched corruption has allowed the underworld to turn public procurement into a thriving criminal enterprise.

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