Tenderpreneur Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala has accused Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) officials of inserting false allegations against National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola into a statement prepared as part of his failed plea deal.

Returning to the Madlanga Commission on Tuesday, Matlala continued giving evidence based on his Section 204 statement, which he said he did not draft himself.

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Before testifying on Monday, he warned that he might not be able to explain certain claims in the document, alleging that investigators could have included information he never provided.

His latest testimony also exposed contradictions between his evidence at the commission and statements he previously made before Parliament’s ad hoc committee.

Cat Matlala’s Statement Links Masemola to R500,000

In April, Masemola was issued with a court summons over alleged contraventions of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), relating to the irregular awarding of a R360 million SAPS contract to Matlala’s company, Medicare24 Tshwane District.

During former IDAC head Andrea Johnson’s testimony in July, commissioners questioned how the directorate became involved in the case and what information supported the decision to include Masemola in its investigation.

Commission chairperson Mbuyiseli Madlanga questioned why Masemola had been grouped with people, including Matlala, facing corruption and fraud charges when his charges were unrelated. He also raised concerns about the basis for concluding that the matter met the threshold for an IDAC mandate.

Johnson acknowledged that Masemola’s case should have been separated from the others and that the situation created unfavourable optics for him. However, she denied that the decision was intended to embarrass the commissioner.

Masemola has since been cleared of the charges and returned to work.

‘IDAC Wrote That’, Matlala Tells Commission

One section of Matlala’s statement alleged that former deputy national police commissioner Shadrack Sibiya had discussed Masemola’s involvement in helping Medicare24.

It reads: “[Shadrack] Sibiya said to me in Fannie’s [Masemola] presence that I can see how Fannie is trying to help and I should organise some more money for Fannie as he is also going to help to ensure that complaints against Medicare are handled.”

Matlala denied making the statement, accusing IDAC officials of fabricating the allegation.

Another section claimed that Sibiya told him the first R500,000 payment had been handed to Masemola and that he needed another R500,000.

“After the payment of the R500 000 referred to above and after some passage of time, I was informed by Sibiya that he needed another R500 000. Sibiya told me that the first R500 000 I gave him was handed over to Fannie.”

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Matlala refused to comment on the first part of the allegation about paying Sibiya, saying he did not want to incriminate himself. However, he denied that Masemola had received the money, insisting that IDAC had added that claim.

Had the plea deal succeeded, the allegation could have resulted in further investigation into Masemola.

Matlala Contradicts Previous Testimony About Sibiya

Matlala told the commission that the R500,000 he allegedly paid Sibiya was intended for the latter’s child’s wedding. He declined to explain why he felt compelled to give Sibiya the money.

However, this account contradicted his earlier testimony before Parliament’s ad hoc committee, where he denied ever giving Sibiya money.

“So you would have then lied or misled the ad hoc committee in this regard?” commissioners asked.

“This is why I said I do not want to incriminate myself,” Matlala responded.

He also faced questions over conflicting accounts of his attendance at Sibiya’s child’s engagement party. Matlala had previously said he was not invited and only went to fetch his wife, who had received an invitation.

At the Madlanga Commission, however, he said Sibiya had invited him through Fannie Nkosi.

The conflicting accounts have added another layer to Matlala’s testimony, as commissioners examine the allegations contained in his failed plea statement and the differences between his evidence before the two parliamentary processes.