The legal proceedings against tenderpreneur Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala have taken a significant turn after his case was officially separated from that of his co-accused in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court.

Following a short court appearance on Wednesday, Matlala is now set to appear independently before the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Pretoria on Thursday, 25 June 2026.

This relates to a R228 million contract awarded to his company, Medicare24 Tshwane District.

Reports previously indicated that there were discussions between Matlala’s legal team and the Investigative Directorate Against Corruption (Idac) regarding a potential plea agreement.

However, any deal would depend on Matlala’s cooperation in providing evidence that could implicate others.

As a result, Matlala was not transferred back to eBongweni Correctional Centre in Kokstad, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), after he decided not to apply for bail.

The alleged underworld figure instead remained in custody at Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre in Pretoria, where negotiations have been taking place.

NPA mum on Cat Matlala plea deal

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) confirmed that the separation of the trial was driven largely by logistical considerations linked to ongoing negotiations.

NPA spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago told the media that the adjustment would allow proceedings involving Matlala to move forward without delay.

“It’s just the logistical issues that were happening here in the court, and that’s why it was taking so long to negotiate everything.

“But now we have sent our team to the SCCU [Specialised Commercial Crime Unit] to secure the court for tomorrow, and they have agreed to do that.

“Therefore, now that he has been separated, it means we can proceed with what we wanted to do with him tomorrow,” he said on Wednesday, 24 June.

Kganyago further indicated that although discussions between the prosecution and Matlala have progressed, no agreement has yet been formally confirmed by the court.

“The issue is that it was very clear, even from the beginning. It was in open court where we said that we wanted to negotiate with him, and we also wanted him to be here [in Pretoria] rather than in Kokstad.

“That’s where the negotiations were happening. Unfortunately, until the matter is made an order of court, we can’t say ‘we have or we don’t have’.

“Our negotiations have yielded something at some point, but it has to be confirmed.

“All I can say is that when we came here this morning, we were ready to proceed. It means we were in agreement with what we wanted to proceed with.”

Saps-Medicare24 tender

Before the separation, Matlala was among 17 accused facing corruption, fraud, and money laundering charges.

The case also involved suspended national police commissioner Fannie Masemola.

The charges stem from a controversial R360 million health services tender with the South African Police Service (Saps).

Investigations found the tender to be irregular, with at least R50 million paid out before it was ultimately cancelled in May 2025.

With the case now split, Matlala, along with his companies Medicare24 and Luxo Africa Brand Investments, will face the court independently as proceedings continue.