Matlala ‘Lied’ About Eswatini ID, Crime Intelligence Boss Tells Parliament

Crime intelligence head Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo has told parliament that alleged underworld figure Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala lied under oath about possessing an Eswatini identity document, saying forensic evidence from his phone proves the ID was genuine and known to him.

Khumalo made the claims on Thursday while testifying before parliament’s ad hoc committee probing allegations of corruption within South Africa’s criminal justice system.

Matlala Denied Eswatini ID Under Oath, Committee Told

During earlier testimony before the committee in November, Matlala denied holding an Eswatini identity document or using the surname “Dlamini”, which appeared on the ID. He also claimed that an image of the document had been “planted” on his phone by investigators.

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Khumalo rejected this version of events, telling MPs that the evidence showed the document was in Matlala’s possession well before any forensic examination.

“Matlala made a false statement in parliament by publicly denying having such an ID,” Khumalo said.

Phone Forensics Reveal Private Chat With Wife

According to Khumalo, forensic analysis of Matlala’s cellphone uncovered a private conversation between Matlala and his wife in which the ID was shared.

“During the forensic analysis of Matlala’s cellphone, investigators found a picture of an Eswatini identity card in a chat between Mr. Matlala and his wife,” Khumalo told the committee.

“In the exchange, Matlala requested his wife to: ‘Please send me my Swati ID, it’s in our chats. I deleted it by mistake from my side.’”

Khumalo said Cat’s wife then sent the image back to him, proving the document existed on the phone long before investigators accessed it.

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He also dismissed claims that the device had been tampered with. “The allegations that the information on his phones was tampered with — claims which appeared to be echoed by the deputy national commissioner and Idac head Andrea Johnson — are false and were made without any supporting evidence from a cyber expert,” Khumalo said.

Eswatini Authorities Confirm ID Issued Through Irregular Process

Khumalo further revealed that Eswatini authorities had verified the ID was issued to Matlala, but through what he described as a deeply flawed process.

“The Eswatini authorities confirmed that Vusimuzi Dlamini is not a citizen of Eswatini by birth,” he said.

“They found that the personal identification number was created on 12 February 2024 and used to issue a national ID before a birth certificate was even registered.”

The birth record, Khumalo added, was only registered eight days later on 20 February 2024 — a sequence he said pointed to serious procedural irregularities and fraud.

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