Businessman Vusimuzi Matlala has been identified as a central figure in explosive allegations of corruption and political meddling levelled by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. The allegations, which implicate Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, have unveiled a complex web of influence that reportedly led to the disbandment of a key police unit investigating Matlala himself.
The controversy erupted during a media briefing on Sunday, where Mkhwanazi accused Mchunu and his associate, Brown Mogotsi, of interfering in police operations to protect Matlala. According to Mkhwanazi, this interference was directly linked to a R360 million tender for health services awarded to Matlala’s company by the SAPS in 2024, a contract that was later cancelled due to irregularities.
In an interview with Newzroom Afrika on Monday, investigative journalist Jeff Wicks described the briefing as “truly seismic,” stating it revealed the extent to which “the uppermost ranks of the police are factionalised and the war for control and power is now playing out in full view.”
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The Allegations and the Disbanded Unit
The core of the scandal, as outlined by Mkhwanazi and detailed by Wicks, revolves around the Political Killings Task Team. This unit was not only investigating Matlala in connection with the attempted murder of Gauteng whistleblower Babita Deokaran’s sister, but its work had also begun to “uncover a crime syndicate involving underworld figures, politicians, prosecutors, judges and senior police,” according to one report.
Mkhwanazi presented WhatsApp messages, allegedly retrieved from Matlala’s phone following his arrest, that suggest a quid pro quo. One message from Mogotsi to Matlala reportedly stated, “the task team that came to your house and harassed you, have been dissolved.”
Wicks commented on the timing, noting, “when you consider that Mkhwanazi also shared records of a payment that Matlala made to Mogotsi… it kind of makes the quid pro quo jump out that the cash is in exchange for the disbanding of this political killings task team.”
The journalist further explained the gravity of the situation: “The information is that Vusimuzi Matlala has so much political reach and influence within the South African police service that he was not only able to score this tender, but then try and pay his way to the disbandment of another unit that was investigating him that threatened that revenue stream. It’s an extremely significant development.”
This alleged interference culminated in the task team being officially dissolved and its case dockets transferred to the office of Deputy National Commissioner for Crime Detection, Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya, in Pretoria. Mkhwanazi claimed five of these dockets had instructions for arrests that were never carried out.
Matlala’s history first came to public attention through the investigations of slain whistleblower Babita Deokaran. Wicks noted, “she was actually the first person to put him on the radar through three shell companies that he was making money through Timbisa hospital from.” Subsequent investigations by journalists placed Matlala within a larger syndicate allegedly responsible for extracting R2.3 billion from the hospital.
The case against Matlala is currently before the courts. He is facing charges of attempted murder, money laundering, and defeating the ends of justice in relation to the botched assassination attempt in October 2023. As these legal proceedings unfold, the “seismic” allegations have prompted widespread calls for action, including an urgent parliamentary debate and a commission of inquiry, to address the deep-seated integrity crisis threatening South Africa’s law enforcement agencies.
Image: KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. Credit: Mail & Guardian
