Rachel Matjeng
Brigadier Rachel Matjeng provided a contrasting view of Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, referring to him as a caring and humble individual who offered financial support out of genuine affection, not pressure.
During her testimony at the Madlanga commission of inquiry in Pretoria on Thursday, Matjeng, a senior officer in the South African Police Service, stated she had never observed the malicious behavior that is currently associated with Matlala.
“I know him as a humble, respectful, and romantic person, and I had never experienced the evil side that is being portrayed currently,” she said.
Matjeng, who is in charge of quality management for criminal records and crime scene management at SAPS forensic services, recounted that she met Matlala in 2017 following a coworker who shared her photo via WhatsApp.
He showed interest and asked for her phone number. “She told me a guy called Cat wanted my number and was asking for my contact. After I asked for more information, I gave permission,” she recounted.
They soon began a relationship, which had its ups and downs, with Matjeng noting there were times they did not communicate for extended periods.
“We started talking and ended up having a romantic relationship. Sometimes we would go a year without talking to each other,” she testified.
She acknowledged that their relationship was still active before Matlala’s arrest, and Commissioner Sandile Khumalo indicated that the arrest had merely interrupted their connection, not ended it.
Matjeng concurred, stating that she now believes the relationship has concluded.
Throughout her testimony, Matjeng responded to queries regarding gifts and financial aid from Matlala, emphasizing that these were personal in nature and unrelated to her job.
“I never borrowed money from him. What I received were gifts and money from a boyfriend since 2017,” she said.
She firmly rejected any implications that the financial assistance was tied to the awarding of the Medicare24 Tshwane contract.
“None of the monies that I received from him were related to me influencing the awarding of the tender,” Matjeng told the commission.
She explained that she took precautions to prevent any conflict of interest after realizing her work obligations overlapped with a company associated with Matlala.
She informed Major-General Manamela about her situation and offered to recuse herself. “I told my supervisor that I knew Mr Matlala and explained the nature of our relationship. I asked if I should recuse myself,” she said.
However, she was informed that the issue was part of her duties and could not be delegated.
“He indicated that the facilitation of medical surveillance is solely the responsibility of the environmental compliance officer and that I still needed to address any challenges professionally,” she testified.
Matjeng also stated that she was not involved in the procurement process and was unaware of which firms submitted bids.
“I was not aware of the service provider that submitted the bids for the tender,” she said.
She further disclosed that Matlala once requested to transfer money to another bank account to keep it hidden from his wife.
“He said he did not want his wife to know because she only knew me as a friend,” she testified, suggesting instead the account of a friend who owned a butchery.
Regarding Matlala’s background, Matjeng stated that, to her knowledge, he had no criminal record during their time together.
“Since our relationship, to my knowledge, he was never convicted or arrested for any criminal offence, except for an old case that was before our relationship,” she said.
