Controversial businessman Vus’muzi “Cat” Matlala has been denied bail by the Johannesburg High Court in a judgment delivered today.
The 47-year-old security company owner faces charges of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and money laundering related to the 2023 shooting of his former girlfriend, actress Tebogo Thobejane.
Matlala was appealing the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court’s September decision that denied him bail, citing him as a flight risk and danger to society.
His defense team, led by advocate Laurance Hodes SC, had argued the magistrate made legal and factual errors, relying on “suspicions and assumptions rather than evidence.”
The state opposed the appeal, with prosecutor Elize le Roux citing Matlala’s possession of a cellphone in custody at Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Centre and an illegally obtained Eswatini identity document.
“That cellphone is not a small matter, it’s a way to reach people outside and in crimes of this nature, that poses a serious risk to witnesses,” le Roux told the court during arguments on October 20.
The High Court’s decision means Matlala will remain in custody pending trial. His case has been linked to broader corruption investigations, including alleged connections to senior police officials revealed at the Madlanga Commission.
