Cat Matlala - Mkhwanazi Wanted Me to Make the Torture Case "Go Away" in Exchange for Helping Me

he delved into the details of his first and only meeting with KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lt Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, which occurred in April 2025 at The Pearls in Umhlanga, Durban. Matlala stated that the meeting was arranged by former Police Minister Bheki Cele, who had previously assisted him with other police-related issues, and that he was accompanied by KZN Hawks boss Lt Gen Lesetja Senona, whom Matlala described as a close associate or "big brother" figure for protection and support during the encounter.

Matlala explained that the purpose of the meeting stemmed from his frustrations with a R360 million SAPS contract awarded to one of his companies for supplying police equipment, which was plagued by delayed purchase orders and payments. He approached Mkhwanazi for assistance because Mkhwanazi was reportedly close to Lt Gen Lineo Ntshiea (also referred to as Nkhuoa), the acting deputy national commissioner for support services, who oversaw procurement. Matlala testified that Mkhwanazi suggested resolving the tender issues through bribery, implying Matlala should pay Ntshiea to expedite the process, and even mentioned that Ntshiea had a son in engineering to whom payments could be funneled (e.g., for buying a retirement home). In exchange, Mkhwanazi allegedly sought Matlala's help with a pending Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) torture case against SAPS officers, asking him to intervene or "make it go away" by leveraging his connections.

Matlala claimed this mutual assistance dynamic turned tense when Mkhwanazi warned him that if anything happened to National Police Commissioner Lt Gen Fannie Masemola—implying a threat to Masemola's life—Mkhwanazi would personally "take him out." Matlala said he viewed the interaction as a potential trap to implicate him further in corruption, leading him to cut off all contact with Mkhwanazi afterward. He emphasized there were no prior phone calls, WhatsApps, or other communications between them before the meeting, and no money (e.g., via his signature Woolworths bags) was exchanged with Mkhwanazi, unlike his alleged dealings with Cele. Evidence leader Norman Arendse and MPs grilled Matlala on these claims, highlighting the lack of records and potential contradictions with prior testimonies, including Mkhwanazi's own statements denying close ties to criminals.

This segment of the testimony has sparked significant skepticism among observers and MPs, with some viewing it as an attempt to discredit Mkhwanazi (who initiated the broader probe with his allegations of corruption in SAPS) or as retaliation amid Matlala's own legal troubles.

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