The man widely accused of being at the heart of police infiltration and capture of law enforcement apparatus in South Africa, Vusumuzi “Cat” Matlala was this week found with a mobile phone during a raid at the Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Facility in Pretoria.
On Tuesday night and into the early hours of Wednesday, Correctional Services national commissioner, Makgothi Samuel Thobakgale, led an extensive raid and search operation at the Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Centre in Pretoria, including its high-security C-Max section.
The raid on Tuesday and Wednesday was a follow-up to another blitz conducted on Sunday, where officials found Matlala with a mobile phone.
“Cat Matlala is at C-Max correction facility because of a classification. He is classified as high-risk but also secondly, we continue to do searches, especially these types of searches that we did last night,” Thobakgale told broadcaster Newzroom Afrika on Wednesday morning.
“On Sunday morning, we did a surprise search and we found a cellphone in his possession.”
At the time, Matlala was in a section of the vast prison called “local” which houses medium to low-risk individuals.
“He was at medium local,” said Thobakgale.
The Department of Correctional Services said investigations are underway to ascertain how Matlala managed to have the mobile device in the prison.
The gadget has since been handed over to the South African Police Service (SAPS).
“When we find objects like cellphones in cases that are high-risk like this one, we hand the object over to the South African Police Service so that is what we have done immediately, on the same day,” said Thobakgale.
“After uncovering the device, we contacted SAPS and they came and collected it.”
IOL has reported that it has since emerged that former police minister, Bheki Cele, is now implicated in the police corruption scandal involving Matlala.
Cele stayed in a luxury penthouse suite owned by controversial businessman Matlala just days before Matlala’s company was awarded a R360 million SAPS health services tender. The stay took place in January at The Capital Menlyn Maine, a swanky hotel in Pretoria East.
The penthouse is one of the city’s most exclusive accommodations, complete with private lift access, round-the-clock concierge service, and sweeping skyline views. Matlala personally arranged the stay, and Cele was confirmed as the guest.
jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
IOL News
