An Osizweni butchery has been drawn into testimony at the Madlanga Commission after a senior SAPS brigadier admitted providing its banking details to alleged criminal kingpin Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala to facilitate a R300 000 payment.
Brigadier Rachel Matjeng, head of quality management within SAPS Forensic Services, appeared before the commission on 6 February 2026.
She was questioned extensively about her past romantic relationship with Matlala, financial exchanges between them, and her involvement in matters linked to the controversial R360 million Medicare24 SAPS contract.
Under questioning, Matjeng confirmed that she supplied Matlala with the banking details of the Osizweni-based butchery instead of her own account details after he requested somewhere to transfer funds.
WhatsApp messages presented as evidence showed Matjeng asking Matlala about his available funds in December 2024. After he indicated he did not have a bank account at the time, she later contacted him requesting assistance with debts she could not cover herself.
A recorded WhatsApp call followed, after which Matlala asked for banking details — specifying that they should not be hers.
Matjeng then provided the butchery’s account information and shortly afterwards followed up to ask whether the payment had been made, saying she required proof of transfer.
She told the commission that the arrangement was linked to their affair, explaining that Matlala wanted to conceal the relationship from his wife and avoid any perception of impropriety, particularly as he had business dealings with SAPS at the time.
The commission, chaired by retired Constitutional Court Judge Mbuyiseli Madlanga, questioned the ethics of using a third-party account and the apparent overlap between Matjeng’s personal relationship and her professional responsibilities.
Matjeng maintained that she saw nothing wrong with the arrangement, stating, “As my boyfriend, I didn’t see anything wrong with it.”
She further testified that she did not personally receive the R300 000, claiming the butchery owner retained the funds to offset a debt allegedly owed by Matlala. The commission noted inconsistencies in her explanations regarding the movement of money between her and Matlala.
Evidence leaders also questioned why Matjeng shared information and intervened in matters relating to the Medicare24 contract, actions which appeared to fall outside her formal role in SAPS Forensic Services. She defended these as part of routine oversight, denying that her relationship influenced her conduct.
The hearing was adjourned with the commission indicating that further evidence would be heard, including testimony from North West businessman Suliman Carrim, who is expected to address alleged payments connected to Matlala’s SAPS contract.
The commission’s questioning highlighted concerns over conflicts of interest and ethical boundaries within SAPS, particularly where personal relationships intersect with multimillion-rand procurement processes.
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