Vusimusi ‘Cat’ Matlala (middle left), businessman James Murray, and 12 police officers made their first appearance at the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday on charges related to the R360-million SAPS health tender.

• Vusimusi ‘Cat’ Matlala, businessman James Murray, and 12 former and current SAPS officers appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
• They are facing charges linked to a since-cancelled R360-million police health tender Matlala scooped in 2024.
• The State is not opposing bail, except in Matlala’s case.

The State is not opposing bail for the 12 cops said to have greased the wheels so the notorious Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala could scoop a R360-million SAPS health tender.

The Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) rounded up the group on Tuesday. Matlala and businessman James Murray were also charged.

They made their first appearance in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.

The State said it would not be opposing bail for the officers, who include former and current SAPS captains, colonels and brigadiers, and even a major-general, nor for Murray.

Bail was opposed for Matlala, though.

Proceedings got off to a late start as a result of delays in getting Matlala to court.

It was a tight squeeze in the dock. Each time another accused emerged from the grills and made their way down the bench, those who had gone before them had to shuffle closer together until, eventually, they were cheek to jowl.

Matlala – whose lavish lifestyle has been well documented – was once again dressed in a slick pin-striped suit when he did eventually arrive.

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Rachel Matjeng – the brigadier who famously told the Madlanga Commission that Matlala was her lover and had showered her with cash and gifts, including the weight-loss drug Ozempic, because he was a romantic and not because they were bribes – was, meanwhile, in a black hoodie, and appeared tired, with dark bags under her eyes. The two shared a few words beneath the glare of the lights of the media’s cameras before the hearing got under way.

“The State is opposed to the bail in respect of [Matlala] as he is currently in custody on another matter,” State advocate Santhos Manillal said.

He added, though, that he had “had discussions” with Matlala’s legal team and they were not planning on bringing an application at this stage in any case.

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“The State is not opposed to bail in respect of all of the other accused and the State will, in that regard, place on record the bail affidavit of its investigating officer, which will deal with the issue of bail and the amounts, etc.,” he continued.

Those who want their freedom still have to persuade the court, though.

An alleged criminal kingpin and member of the “Big 5” cartel, Matlala – and the three-year tender to provide health and risk screening to 180 000 police employees – have featured prominently at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry and the ad hoc parliamentary committee set up to probe KwaZulu-Natal top cop Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s claims of police capture.

News24 previously reported that Matlala had been awarded the tender through his company, Medicare24 Tswane District, in June 2024. This despite having been among those whose dodgy payouts from Tembisa Hospital were flagged by the Gauteng Health Department’s Babita Deokaran in the run-up to her assassination. Months later, national Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola finally cancelled the tender, ahead of a probe by the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) into allegations of collusion, fronting, fraud and violations of the Public Finance Management Act.

The case continues.