Eight Security Watchdog Staff Suspended Linked to ‘Cat’ Matlala’s Scandal
Security watchdog dogs staff fired due to Matlala’s alleged connection.
by Mathipa Phishego
South Africa’s private security watchdog has been rocked by a corruption scandal that has seen eight of its officials suspended amid explosive links to alleged underworld figure and attempted murder accused Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala a man now at the centre of a widening policing and security crisis.
The suspensions, confirmed last week, form part of an intensifying probe into claims that rogue security guards have been funnelling firearms to criminal networks operating in what insiders describe as South Africa’s gang capital.
Matlala long considered a key player in the country’s murky underworld has emerged as a central figure in a web of corruption, policing failures, and questionable security tenders. He is accused of using his proximity to elements within law enforcement to advance lucrative contracts and allegedly facilitate the registration of private security companies with compromised ownership.
At the heart of the controversy is Cat Protection and Security (Pty) Ltd, a Gauteng-based company directed by Matlala. The firm previously bid for a three-year National Treasury guarding contract a deal that, if successful, would have given Matlala’s company access to high-security government buildings tied to the nation’s finances. Although the bid was ultimately unsuccessful, records show that the company had been shortlisted, raising red flags about the screening process for sensitive state tenders.
Matlala’s empire stretches beyond one company. Last year, another of his entities was awarded a R360-million policing contract a deal that has since been terminated amid growing public outrage and internal investigations into the nexus between the South African Police Service (SAPS) and politically connected contractor.
Daily Maverick reported that the investigation say the scandal exposes a dangerous overlap between organised crime, private security, and elements within the state’s enforcement apparatus a network that allegedly allows criminal syndicates to access firearms and sensitive information under the guise of legitimate business.
The Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA) has not released the names of the suspended officials, but internal sources suggest that the probe could widen to include more staff and several security firms registered under suspicious circumstances.
However, the public pressure is mounting for authorities to explain how a criminally accused businessman was able to compete for state contracts and why systemic loopholes continue to allow underworld figures to entrench themselves in the security sector.As investigations continue, the Matlala scandal has once again exposed the fragility of South Africa’s policing integrity and how corruption and organised crime are quietly eroding the nation’s law enforcement foundations.The case against Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala continues in November, where he faces charges of attempted murder and other serious offences.
