Alleged criminal kingpin and tenderpreneur Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala will remain behind bars at the Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre following his court appearance in connection with an irregular R360 million police health tender.
Matlala appeared before the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 20 April 2026.
Prison transfer
Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDA) spokesperson Henry Mamothame said the matter was postponed to 13 May 2026 to finalise consultations and for him to give instructions to his attorney.
“The court granted the state its request to have Matlala detained at Kgosi Mampuru until consultations are completed.”
Matlala’s legal team is preparing a high court application to have him permanently transferred to Embongweni Correctional Facility, the supermax prison in Kokstad, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).
Arrests
When Matlala returns to court, he will be joined by 15 others facing charges of corruption, fraud, and contravention of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA).
The group was handcuffed by the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) IDAC in a series of raids last month.
The charges relate to the alleged irregular awarding of a contract to Medicare 24, a company owned by Matlala.
Matlala allegedly bribed top police officers, including generals, to facilitate the award of the contract.
Contract
The irregular contract, which was awarded in 2024, has been at the centre of proceedings of the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry and a parliamentary inquiry into crime networks infiltrating the South African Police Service (Saps) and the country’s criminal justice system.
In November last year, Matlala reluctantly explained how his company, Medicare24 Tshwane District, was awarded the R360 million South African Police Service (Saps) health services contract.
While the contract was advertised for R360 million, R600 million was available in the Saps budget.
Saps chief financial officer (CFO), Lieutenant-General Puleng Dimpane, told Parliament’s ad hoc committee that the contract was flagged as a possible irregular expenditure in the first week of March 2024 and confirmed as irregular in May.
R466 million was disclosed as irregular expenditure.
Medicare24
The idea of Medicare24 Tshwane District came through Mike van Wyk, who lives on the same estate as Matlala.
The deal between Matlala and Van Wyk is between a franchisor and its franchisee, with Van Wyk owning Medicare24 Holdings.
The agreement was that Matlala would register his company under Medicare24 Holdings and pay a management fee to the company on every contract secured by Medicare24 Tshwane District.
