By Johnathan Paoli
In explosive testimony before Parliament’s ad-hoc committee, corruption-accused businessman Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala has claimed that former police minister Bheki Cele in fact demanded R1 million from him, money allegedly withdrawn from a Medicare24 account and delivered in Woolworths shopping bags.
Proceedings resumed at Kgosi Mampuru II Prison shortly on Thursday morning, with committee chairperson Soviet Lekganyane greeting members individually and warning that the session would conclude at seven in the evening due to logistical constraints, including a power outage in the area.
Evidence leader and senior counsel Norman Arendse opened by confirming that Matlala’s finalised statement had been signed and submitted, before immediately turning to what he called “very serious” allegations involving Cele.
According to Matlala, the former minister asked to stay at his Pretoria apartment earlier this year, a request he granted.
It was during this stay, he testified, that Cele first raised the issue of money, telling the late businessman Bongani Mpungose that he had “helped Matlala” but had received nothing in return.
When Matlala questioned what Cele meant, Cele allegedly replied that accommodation “won’t pay his bills” and demanded R1 million.
Matlala said he felt unable to refuse, adding that he had witnessed what “these people” were capable of and did not want to provoke Cele.
He eventually agreed to provide R300 000 immediately.
He testified that the funds were withdrawn from the Medicare24 Tshwane District bank account by his sister, Claudette Masethe, who served as district director.
After collecting the cash at Menlyn Mall, he walked it back to his apartment in a Woolworths shopping bag.
Arendse pressed him on how credible it was that Cele travelled back with R300 000 stuffed into a retail shopping bag, but Matlala said he did not know where Cele went afterwards.
The second payment, R200 000, as previously reported, allegedly occurred in March at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Umhlanga.
Matlala said he drove from Pretoria with an entourage of between 12 and 14 bodyguards, insisting he always travelled with a large convoy both for his safety and to market his security business.
He instructed one protector to fetch a bag from his car, then handed it to Cele at his red Jeep before the former minister drove off.
Matlala told the committee Cele continued to make demands after March, including an instruction to “do something” and alleged pressure to pay invoices supposedly linked to the minister’s son, whom Cele claimed few people knew about.
These details, he conceded, were not in his written statement because he struggled with memory lapses in prison.
He also detailed how Cele allegedly facilitated a meeting for him in Umhlanga with KZN Hawks head Lesetja Senona and provincial commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, aimed at addressing his complaints that SAPS had stopped issuing purchase orders under the Medicare24 contract.
Matlala said he came to believe he would be expected to pay the human resources head responsible for the orders.
Arendse described these interactions as “reeking of corruption”, with Matlala saying the conduct was unethical but insisting he was merely seeking what was due to him under the contract.
These claims stand in stark contrast to what Cele testified before the committee, where he denied receiving any money from Matlala.
The committee continues.
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