Tenderpreneur’s penthouse haven for Bheki Cele amid R360m police tender scandal

Key topics:Cele stayed at penthouse of accused murderer and tenderpreneurR360m SAPS health tender awarded amid fraud, murder allegationsMkhwanazi links senior officials to sabotage of murder investigationSign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here.Support South Africa’s bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here.The auditorium doors will open for BNIC#2 on 10 September 2025 in Hermanus. For more information and tickets, click here..Kerry Lanaghan.A tenderpreneur and accused murderer, Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala, accommodated former police minister Bheki Cele at his penthouse in Pretoria, according to a report made by News24. During Cele’s time as police minister, Matlala was awarded a R360m tender in police health services, only a week before Cele stepped down from his position. Cele’s link to Matlala has been disclosed by Kwazulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, among the many explosive disclosures by Mkhwanazi. Matlala’s allegations do not end here. Mkhwanazi has placed him at the centre of many accusations, such as bribery and interference, which involve the current police minister, Senzo Mchunu. A recording of the call made by Matlala to the hotel’s corporate sales manager in which he refers to Cele as a “friend” and “business partner”. However, Cele’s response to this was contradictory, stating that “I have nothing to do with him when it comes to business… I am not in business.” Cele also denied having a friendship with Matlala and claimed he had only met him this year. “Yes, I stayed at that place [Matlala’s penthouse]... I know him, but friends, no.” R50m of the police health services tender was paid to Matlala’s company, Medicare24 Tswane District. This was before the deal was called off due to claims of fraud, collusion and fronting. On Sunday, Lt-General Mkhwanazi exposed that the dispersion of a Political Killings Task Team was made with a hidden agenda that would benefit Matlala and involved another tenderpreneur - Brown Mogotsi. This involved current police minister Senzo Mchunu, with Mkhwanazi sharing WhatsApp messages taken from Matlala’s cellphone after his arrest. The message sent from Mogotsi to Matlala states, “The task team that came to your house and harassed [you] has been dissolved; they got the letter on Monday. As we speak, they are bringing dockets to Sibaya.” According to Mkhwanazi, Sibaya refers to Shadrack Sibaya, the deputy national police commissioner. Mchunu wrote a letter which commanded the termination of the Task Team, which was sent from Mogotsi to Matlala the following day - but Mchunu denied knowing Mogotsi. The Task Team was set to investigate a case in which Matlala was alleged to have murdered Tebogo Thobejane, his ex-partner, in October 2023. News24 confirmed proof of payment of R111,000 from Matlala’s Medicare24 Tswane District bank account to Mogotsi. This was sent 10 days after the dissolution of the Task Team. Matlala’s tender was awarded amid an investigation of a R2.3bn Tembisa Hospital procurement scandal, conducted by the Special Investigating Unit and the Hawks. News24 revealed the tender in December, and by late January, it was revealed that Matlala should not have been given the tender, which was disclosed by a preliminary internal audit report. The report stated that the case should have become a criminal investigation and that the amount that had already been paid - a figure of R18.5m - should be labelled as irregular expenditure by SAPS. National police commissioner Fasie Masemola only terminated the tender 103 days after being advised to do so, which allowed Matlala’s Medicare24 to receive R50m of the tender. The Investing Directorate Against Corruption is now underway with a criminal investigation. President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to address the case when he returns from Brazil on Wednesday, calling Mkhwanazi’s claims “a matter of grave national security.”

Tenderpreneur’s penthouse haven for Bheki Cele amid R360m police tender scandal

Related Stories

Local drugmakers sound alarm: Import policies gutting SA medicine manufacturing base

Steenhuisen was warned—repeatedly. South Africa's FMD disaster is his to own.

The bumbling cop accused of linking South Africa’s mob with the state

Dr Zizamele Cebekhulu-Makhaza: Mkhwanazi "dragged South Africa out of the mud…"