Matlala appears in court for a murder trial pre-trial

Twenty-five charges spanning multiple shooting incidents just brought Vusimuzi Matlala and four co-accused back to the Johannesburg High Court for another round of pretrial proceedings.

Who's in the dock with Matlala

• Controversial businessman Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala faces trial alongside his wife, Tsakani Matlala, and three others.
• Musa Kekana, Tiego Floyd Mabusela, and Zandile Nthabiseng Nzama round out the group of five accused.
• Eleven counts of attempted murder sit among the 25 total charges the group is fighting.
• Three separate shooting incidents between August 2022 and January 2024 form the backbone of the state's case.

What prosecutors are alleging

• The state claims the accused collectively orchestrated a shooting and laundered money connected to the plot.
• A fraudulent invoice allegedly got used to hide the funds tied to the scheme.
• Former girlfriend Tebogo Thobejane is identified as the alleged target of a failed assassination attempt.
• Joe Sibanyoni and music producer Seunkie "DJ Vetteys" Mokubong were also allegedly targeted in separate shootings.

Access battles over Matlala's detention

• Matlala's transfer from Kgosi Mampuru II Prison to eBongweni Supermax in Kokstad threw his legal team's trial preparations into disarray.
• His lawyers pushed for a court order to restore proper consultation access after the move.
• NPA spokesperson Magaboke Mohlatlole confirmed the court granted relief, ordering face-to-face consultations and document exchanges.
• The granted order covered February 16 to 17, 2026, and also allowed the defence to bring a laptop into consultations.

What Advocate Van den Heever flagged

• Advocate Anneline van den Heever warned the court that distance and large document volumes were seriously slowing things down.
• Getting through expert-related material requires direct, in-person contact with Matlala, she argued.
• Co-accused lawyers separately raised their own client-access complaints, adding to the case's growing list of logistical headaches.
• Earlier postponements for further consultations have already pushed the pretrial timeline back considerably.