PRETORIA — Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala has confirmed that he is friends with businessman Hangwani Morgan Maumela and previously conducted business with him, placing their relationship under renewed scrutiny as the Madlanga Commission examines alleged links between criminal networks, government procurement and influential figures.
Testifying before the commission on Monday, Matlala said he had known Maumela since around 2016 or 2017 and confirmed that Maumela had at one point served as a director of his company, CAT VIP Protection.
“Hangwani Morgan Maumela is my friend and a person with whom I have previously conducted business,” Matlala told the inquiry.
The admission is significant because Maumela has emerged as a central figure in investigations into alleged procurement irregularities at Tembisa Hospital, where investigators have been examining a network of companies and individuals allegedly linked to contracts worth hundreds of millions of rand.
Matlala, however, declined to go into detail about his dealings with Maumela, saying the relationship was already the subject of an investigation by the Special Investigating Unit.
A relationship dating back years
Matlala’s testimony places his relationship with Maumela well before the current investigations and the establishment of the Madlanga Commission.
He told the inquiry that the two men had known each other since approximately 2016 or 2017 and that their relationship extended beyond friendship into business.
Maumela was previously a director of CAT VIP Protection, according to Matlala’s evidence.
The revelation adds an important dimension to the commission’s examination of Matlala’s business network because investigators have separately identified companies associated with both men in their investigations into government procurement.
The SIU has previously said that its Tembisa Hospital investigation identified multiple syndicates and service providers allegedly involved in irregular procurement processes. In one investigation into a syndicate linked to Maumela, the SIU reviewed more than 1,700 procurement bundles with a combined value of more than R816 million. Investigators identified 41 service providers linked to that syndicate.
Some of the companies associated with Matlala have also appeared in the wider Tembisa Hospital investigation, adding to questions about the overlap between the business networks.
Matlala refuses to elaborate
Despite openly acknowledging the friendship, Matlala was reluctant to provide further information about his dealings with Maumela.
He indicated that the matter was currently being investigated by the SIU, limiting what he was prepared to say before the commission.
The approach mirrors parts of Matlala’s testimony on other business relationships, where he has invoked legal protections or declined to answer questions where he believes his responses could potentially prejudice pending investigations or proceedings.
His decision means that several questions remain unanswered, including the precise nature of the businesses conducted with Maumela, the duration of their corporate relationship and whether any of those dealings involved government contracts.
Those questions are likely to remain relevant as the commission assesses the financial and personal networks surrounding Matlala.
Maumela at the centre of Tembisa Hospital investigation
Maumela has become one of the most prominent figures in the SIU’s investigation into alleged procurement corruption at Tembisa Hospital.
The investigation was intensified after the work of the late Gauteng Department of Health official Babita Deokaran, whose analysis of hospital expenditure identified suspicious procurement patterns.
Deokaran was murdered outside her home in August 2021, and her disclosures subsequently became an important part of investigations into alleged corruption at the hospital.
The SIU has since examined thousands of procurement records, supplier registrations, company ownership structures and payments.
Investigators have alleged that procurement processes were manipulated to favour particular suppliers and that companies were sometimes used to create the appearance of competition during tender processes.
The SIU has also pursued the preservation of luxury properties and vehicles allegedly connected to Maumela.
In June 2026, the unit secured orders relating to a Bentley Continental GT allegedly linked to Maumela after the vehicle was found at a dealership in Mpumalanga. The SIU said the asset formed part of a broader preservation order covering assets connected to the Tembisa Hospital investigation.
The unit has also previously obtained an order preserving assets worth approximately R900 million associated with one of the alleged Tembisa Hospital syndicates. The assets included a Sandhurst property valued at about R70 million and several luxury vehicles.
The Carrim connection
Matlala’s relationship with Maumela is also significant because of evidence previously presented to the Madlanga Commission concerning North West businessman Suliman Carrim.
Carrim testified earlier in the commission’s proceedings about financial transactions involving himself, Matlala and Maumela.
According to evidence presented during Carrim’s testimony, Matlala paid Carrim R1.5 million, after which R500,000 was allegedly transferred to Maumela.
Carrim told the commission that he paid the money to Maumela after pressure from Matlala and that the payment was linked to an arrangement between the two businessmen.
The transaction raised questions about whether Carrim was being used as an intermediary for financial dealings between Matlala and Maumela.
The commission has therefore been examining not only direct relationships between individuals but also the flow of money between members of the wider network.
R500,000 payment under scrutiny
One of the transactions highlighted during the commission involved the alleged R500,000 payment to Maumela.
Carrim’s evidence was that he received R1.5 million from Matlala and subsequently transferred R500,000 to Maumela.
The money was allegedly deposited into the account of Luthaga Trading Enterprise.
Carrim’s testimony provided the commission with a potential link between Matlala’s financial dealings and Maumela, although the significance and purpose of the payment remain matters for the inquiry and other investigations to establish.
Carrim’s evidence also placed him within a complicated network involving Matlala and other individuals who have featured prominently in the commission’s examination of alleged political and criminal influence.
A broader network under examination
The Madlanga Commission was established to investigate allegations of criminality, political interference and corruption within South Africa’s criminal justice system.
Matlala has become one of the key figures in that investigation following allegations that he had access to senior police officials and individuals with political influence.
Evidence previously presented to the commission has included WhatsApp communications, financial transactions and testimony concerning Matlala’s alleged dealings with police officials and businessmen.
The commission has been investigating whether criminal networks attempted to influence policing decisions, interfere with investigations or obtain protection from law-enforcement agencies.
Matlala has denied being part of a criminal cartel and has disputed various allegations made against him.
His confirmation that Maumela is both a friend and former business associate nevertheless gives investigators another relationship to examine against the financial and corporate evidence already collected.
Questions around overlapping business interests
The overlap between the two men’s business histories is likely to attract further attention because of the scale of the Tembisa Hospital investigation.
The SIU’s work has identified extensive procurement activity involving companies allegedly linked to different networks.
In one analysis, investigators examined procurement bundles worth more than R816 million associated with a syndicate allegedly linked to Maumela. The investigation identified dozens of service providers connected to that network.
The existence of a previous direct business relationship between Matlala and Maumela does not, by itself, establish wrongdoing.
However, it gives investigators a concrete corporate and personal connection that can be tested against company records, bank transactions, procurement documents and communications.
That evidence may help determine whether the relationship was limited to legitimate private business or extended into transactions linked to the allegations being investigated.
Matlala’s evidence continues next week
Matlala’s testimony has been postponed until August 24 and 25, when he is expected to return to the commission.
His further evidence could provide more information about his business dealings, his relationships with prominent businessmen and his alleged access to senior figures within the police and political establishment.
The commission is likely to face particular scrutiny over whether Matlala provides greater detail about Maumela and the financial transactions involving Carrim.
For now, Matlala has confirmed what had previously been the subject of allegations and evidence: he and Maumela were not merely acquaintances.
They were friends, and they had done business together.
The unanswered question is what that relationship involved — and whether it forms part of the broader network of financial and business relationships now being examined by the Madlanga Commission and the SIU.
