By Bhekizenzo Zonele
Alleged crime boss Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala formally rejoined his co-accused in the R228 million Medicare24 Tshwane District corruption case on Tuesday, as the Pretoria Regional Court postponed the matter to 17 November.
The National Prosecuting Authority has ordered a review of the entire case after Matlala’s plea-and-sentence agreement collapsed.
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Prosecutors told the court that NPA national director of public prosecutions Advocate Andy Mothibi had appointed a team to review the matter.
The case relates to allegations surrounding the awarding of a South African Police Service health and wellness contract to Medicare24 Tshwane District, a company linked to Matlala.
The State alleges that the procurement process involved fraud, corruption and money laundering.
Matlala previously pleaded guilty to charges linked to the tender but later withdrew from a plea-and-sentence agreement after the court rejected the proposed sentence.
The court had initially been presented with an agreement that would have resulted in an effective eight-year prison sentence.
Magistrate Ignatius du Preez rejected the proposed sentence and indicated that an effective 12-year sentence was appropriate.
Matlala subsequently withdrew from the agreement, resulting in the plea-and-sentence agreement being declared null and void.
The collapse of the agreement meant Matlala was no longer proceeding as a state witness and would instead face the charges through the ordinary criminal trial process.
According to the NPA, the postponement will allow a review panel to assess the validity of the accusations against the accused while the NDPP considers a directive on the way forward.
The review forms part of the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption’s Reset Project, which includes a panel of senior prosecutors from the Special Investigating Unit and the NPA.
The NPA said the review is intended to establish whether the relevant legal guidelines were followed and whether the evidence meets the minimum standard required to secure convictions.
Matlala’s legal team told the court that he is scheduled to attend another trial throughout the fourth term and would therefore not be available on 17 November.
“There is a trial that’s running the whole fourth term,” his lawyer told the court.
The court was informed that Matlala would be given a different court date because of the conflicting trial, while his co-accused would return on 17 November.
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National police commissioner Fannie Masemola was initially listed as the 17th accused on the charge sheet, the State told the court. The charges against Masemola were subsequently withdrawn.
Matlala had previously been separated from the main proceedings after negotiating a plea-and-sentence agreement with the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption.
He was brought back into the main case after the agreement fell through following his rejection of the proposed sentence.
The NPA had previously indicated that Matlala and his two companies would have to be joined with the other accused after the agreement was declared null and void.
Matlala remains in custody, while the other accused are out on bail.
The allegations against the accused have not been tested to finality in court.
The case will return to the Pretoria Regional Court on 17 November 2026, with Matlala appearing on a separate date because of his other trial.
