By Johnathan Paoli
The attempted murder case against alleged drug-cartel figure and controversial businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala has been postponed to next week Thursday, after yet another disrupted pre-trial appearance in the South Gauteng High Court on Friday.
Matlala, who appeared alongside his wife, Tsakane Matlala, and three co-accused, watched as the matter stalled once more over unresolved issues relating to his detention in a KwaZulu-Natal super-maximum facility.
“It’s near impossible to consult with him while he is at eBongweni Super Maximum Prison…you sit behind a thick glass where you can barely hear each other, with people around you listening,” his advocate, Anneline van den Heever, told the court.
Matlala and his co-accused, Tsakane Matlala, Musa Kekana, Floyd Mabusela and Zandile Nzama, face 25 charges, including 11 counts of attempted murder, linked to the failed assassination attempts on his former girlfriend, actress Tebogo Thobejane, taxi boss Joe Sibanyoni, and music producer Seunkie Mokubong, also known as DJ Vetteys.
All five took their places in the dock on Friday morning, while behind them co-accused Tiego Floyd Mabusela briefly interacted with his daughter, Nthabiseng Nzama, as proceedings began.
The matter stood down until midday to allow Van den Heever time to consult with her client, after the court was informed that Correctional Services had assigned them a cell within which to hold discussions.
Van den Heever said that despite this temporary measure, consultation remains severely compromised because Matlala is detained at eBongweni Super-Maximum Prison in Kokstad.
“We have been unable to consult because he is detained at eBongweni Super-Maximum. We requested the risk assessment that justified his removal from Kgosi Mampuru, but we were told it is confidential,” she said.
She placed it on record that her repeated attempts to secure clarity had yielded no answers.
“Disclosure was finally given to us on Monday, but that was additional disclosure. We respectfully submit that it is disclosure that ought to have been provided in any event,” she added.
Judge William Karam pressed Van den Heever to avoid drawing the court into a full-blown dispute about incarceration decisions but acknowledged the defence’s frustration.
“This court is not going to be drawn into an opposed application relating to the issue of accused number three’s incarceration wherever. The court sympathises with the frustrations and the hurdles you are experiencing in attempting to consult. However, Correctional Services have their reasons why they are of the view that your client ought to be kept in that facility,” he said.
Van den Heever replied that she was fully aware of the court’s position but had a duty to place each obstacle on record.
“It’s the manner in which I protect my client’s rights down the line,” she said.
Friday’s proceedings reiterated concerns first raised last week, when the matter was postponed for the defence to engage Correctional Services regarding a possible transfer back to Gauteng.
After his 2025 arrest, Matlala was initially held at Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre before he was unexpectedly moved in December to the country’s only super-max prison; a transfer the defence insists was unjustified and deeply prejudicial to trial preparation.
Judge Karam reminded the defence that he had previously advised them to file an urgent High Court application for Matlala’s relocation.
The court also heard that Matlala intends to launch a new-facts bail application, though no date has yet been set.
With consultation still obstructed and disclosure disputes unresolved, prosecutors and defence lawyers agreed that the matter could not proceed.
The pre-trial hearing will now resume on 12 February, when the State is expected to present a formal update from the Department of Correctional Services explaining what prompted Matlala’s move to eBongweni and whether any accommodation can be made to facilitate fair trial preparation.
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