Johannesburg High Court – Inside Politic

Phapano Phasha to appeal Loyiso Masuku defamation ruling

Inside_Politics — Fri, 02 Jan 2026 19:01:08 +0000

By Thapelo Molefe

Political analyst Phapano Phasha said on Friday she had instructed her lawyers to seek leave to appeal a defamation judgment she lost to newly elected ANC Johannesburg regional chairperson Loyiso Masuku.

Phasha also said she would write to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to demand answers over inaction on SIU COVID-19 PPE corruption referrals.

The Johannesburg High Court found that claims aired on a podcast linking Masuku to a “PPE cartel” and vote-buying were defamatory and unlawful.

Masuku denied the allegations and issued a cease-and-desist notice demanding a retraction and apology. When Phasha refused, Masuku approached the Johannesburg High Court on an urgent basis.

In a judgment delivered on Wednesday, the court found the statements to be “clearly defamatory, reckless and unlawful”, rejecting the defence of fair comment.

The court interdicted Phasha and the podcast host from repeating the allegations, ordered the immediate removal of the content from all platforms, and directed Phasha to publish a retraction and apology with equal prominence.

The issue of damages was referred to oral evidence, with costs awarded against Phasha.

In her statement on Friday, Phasha said she had instructed her legal team to apply for leave to appeal the judgment.

“We take this route because we strongly believe a fundamental pillar of our democracy, the equal application of the law and accountability for those in power, has been severely compromised,” she said.

Phasha said she was first pursuing the appeal and would also “demand answers on behalf of the public” by acting on Special Investigating Unit referrals linked to PPE procurement in Gauteng and elsewhere.

She said her lawyers would write to the NPA to demand a formal explanation for “their failure to prosecute”.

“We will explore every available legal mechanism, including the route of private prosecution, to ensure this matter is not swept aside.”

The dispute has unfolded against the backdrop of national outrage over emergency procurement during South Africa’s COVID-19 state of disaster, when normal tender rules were relaxed to fast-track PPE purchases — a process later shown to have been widely abused.

In January 2022, President Cyril Ramaphosa released an SIU report stating the unit had investigated 5,467 contracts awarded to 3,066 service providers worth R14.3 billion, and had finalised investigations into 4,549 contracts, of which 2,803 were found to be irregular — 62% of those finalised.

The SIU and Special Tribunal have pursued civil recoveries in multiple matters, including tribunal rulings setting aside unlawful tenders and ordering companies to account for and repay profits.

However, political and public criticism has persisted that criminal accountability has been slow.

In parliamentary-reply reporting published in December 2025, Business Day reported that of 509 individuals and entities the SIU recommended for restriction from doing business with the state, only 18 had been placed on National Treasury’s restricted suppliers list, leaving 491 still not listed at that point.

Phasha said that prosecutors’ inaction “is not merely procedural; it is a denial of justice to the millions of South Africans who bore the brunt of this corruption”.

She said she was acting in memory of assassinated whistleblower Babita Deokaran, among others.

“This is no longer just about a single statement. It is about confronting a culture of impunity that has taken root in our country.”

The NPA has previously said that SIU referrals may require further investigation and evidentiary work with police structures before cases are court-ready.

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Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala bail appeal judgment reserved

Inside_Politics — Mon, 20 Oct 2025 13:10:03 +0000

By Thapelo Molefe

Advocate Laurence Hodes SC has told the Johannesburg High Court that Magistrate Syta Prinsloo made an error in her decision to deny bail to businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala.

Matlala, a well-known tenderpreneur, appeared in the High Court on Monday to appeal the ruling handed down last month by the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court, which denied him bail.

He faces charges of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, defeating the ends of justice, and money laundering in connection with the 2023 failed hit on his former lover, socialite Tebogo Thobejane.

In September, the Magistrate’s Court found that Matlala posed a flight risk and could interfere with witnesses if released. The court ruled that he had not demonstrated convincing circumstances to justify his release, resulting in his continued detention.

In his appeal, Hodes told the High Court that Magistrate Prinsloo had misapplied the law by treating the case as a Schedule 6 bail application under the Criminal Procedure Act.

“This appeal turns on the substantive fact that the Magistrate erred in the schedule she imposed,” Hodes said.

“It was, in fact, a Schedule 5 application. The misclassification distorted the entire bail judgment.”

Schedule 6 offences require an accused to prove exceptional circumstances before bail can be granted, while Schedule 5 has less strict conditions.

Hodes argued that the Magistrate’s reliance on the higher threshold unfairly burdened his client and resulted in a miscarriage of justice.

He also submitted that Matlala was not a flight risk and had cooperated with police since learning about the investigation in December 2024.

“He knew about the case for months, his home and office were searched, and his documents were taken and later returned. If he wanted to flee, he had every opportunity,” Hodes said.

Hodes also said that Matlala’s continued detention has caused significant harm to his business operations.

As a director of multiple companies employing dozens of workers, Hodes told the court that his incarceration threatens the livelihoods of employees, with the businesses collectively paying nearly R2 million in monthly salaries.

Hodes further criticised some of the state’s earlier claims, including allegations that Matlala owned a private jet and a boat in Mauritius.

“There is no evidence to support those claims,” he told the court.

The state opposed the appeal, arguing that Matlala was dishonest in his bail affidavit and could not be trusted. The prosecutor said Matlala initially denied having any business or financial interests outside South Africa, but later admitted to having a trust entity in Mauritius after investigators discovered it.

“It was only after he was caught out that he disclosed that fact to the court,” the prosecutor said.

“This shows he was not forthcoming and cannot be trusted under oath.”

The state also told the court that a false Eswatini identity card was found on Matlala’s phone, suggesting that he may have attempted to conceal his identity.

Matlala was arrested in May this year along with several co-accused in connection with the case.

His name has also surfaced in other investigations, with KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi previously telling Parliament’s ad hoc committee and the Madlanga Commission that Matlala was among businessmen accused of cultivating ties within law enforcement to shield criminal operations.

The Johannesburg High Court has reserved judgment until Friday on whether Magistrate Prinsloo’s bail decision should be overturned.

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Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala to appeal bail in Johannesburg High Court

Inside_Politics — Mon, 20 Oct 2025 03:41:00 +0000

By Marcus Moloko

Tenderpreneur Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala will appear in the Johannesburg High Court on Monday in a bid to appeal his bail, which was denied last month.

He faces charges of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, defeating the ends of justice, and money laundering in relation to a 2023 failed hit on his former lover Tebogo Thobejane.

In September, the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court ruled that he posed a flight risk and could interfere with witnesses if granted bail.

The court heard how Matlala had not shown convincing circumstances that justified his release.

Matlala is expected to argue that the magistrate erred by applying the wrong legal standard by treating his bail application as a Schedule 6 matter under the Criminal Procedures Act, which carries stricter bail conditions.

The controversial business will contend that his case should be assessed under a less severe schedule and allow for more lenient consideration.

The Johannesburg High Court is expected to hear claims that Matlala’s detention may be causing significant harm to his business operations as the director of multiple companies, which collectively pay nearly R2 million in monthly salaries.

KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has alleged at parliament’s ad hoc committee and the Madlanga Commission that Matlala was among businessmen accused of cultivating ties within law enforcement to shield criminal operations.

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