Marcus Moloko
This week, former Police Minister Bheki Cele appeared before Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee investigating alleged corruption and criminal infiltration within the South African Police Service (SAPS).
His testimony drew sharp scrutiny from Democratic Alliance MP Glynnis Breytenbach, a former prosecutor and current member of the committee, who questioned Cele about the suspicious pattern of withdrawn criminal cases involving controversial businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala.
In a tense exchange captured on video, Breytenbach asked Cele whether he believed it was “a mere coincidence” that more than a dozen cases, estimated at around 18, had been withdrawn against Matlala over the years.
Cele responded: “Knowing him now, absolutely, I don’t believe that his incident is coincidental.”
Pressed further by Breytenbach, who asked whether “something is rotten with the system,” Cele elaborated, “knowing who Matlala himself is and the power of money that he commands.”
Cele’s remarks appeared to confirm suspicions that Matlala’s financial influence may have played a role in the repeated collapse of legal proceedings against him.
Matlala, who has faced charges including attempted murder, has long been viewed as a figure with deep ties to political and business networks.
Cele’s testimony acknowledged a personal acquaintance with Matlala, though he later clarified that he does not know him “very well.”
Cele’s comments about Matlala’s financial clout and the implications for justice raised concerns about systemic vulnerabilities within SAPS.
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