South Africa: Cat Matlala's Plans for Political Control Followed the State Capture Playbook

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National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola.
25 March 2026
Daily Maverick (Johannesburg)
By Ferial Haffajee

Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala's appearance in court on Wednesday underscores what the Madlanga Commission is revealing -- capture begins by cultivating political insiders who unlock the machinery of government.

As Vusimusi "Cat" Matlala appeared in court on Wednesday, 25 March 2026, testimony at the Madlanga Commission has shown how tender kingpins cultivate politicians - with access, luxury and cash - to capture the state from the inside.

The image below represents the potential risk of the criminalisation of the state, first exposed by News24 and now being ventilated at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System.

In it, the tender kingpin Edwin Sodi, a key figure in State Capture networks, is enjoying his 50th birthday party.

At his table is Matlala, the 49-year-old now in jail on charges including attempted murder and on Wednesday charged with 12 others for fraud, corruption and money-laundering in relation to a R360-million police tender riddled with malfeasance.

FOR CONTEXT 'Dirty dozen' cops in the dock for 'Cat' Matlala R360m tender fraud scandal March 25, 2026 Standing near Sodi is Keith Khoza, the political adviser to Deputy President Paul Mashatile. Many other politicians attended the party, according to this report.

What the table reveals is how close tender kingpins got to the political kingdom. This week, the Madlanga Commission heard a...

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