North West businessman Brown Mogotsi has levelled explosive claims against KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, accusing him of failing to disclose a private meeting with alleged underworld figure Vusimusi Matlala, widely known as “Cat” Matlala.
Mogotsi made these allegations during his appearance at the Adhoc Committee which is investigating infiltration of SAPS, fraud and corruption.
This was the second time Mokgotsi made these allegations which he initially made during his testimony before the Madlanga Commission.
According to Mogotsi, the controversy dates back to a media briefing last July, where Mkhwanazi accused him of acting as a go-between for senior politicians and Matlala to derail police investigations.
It further emerged that Mokgotsi had ose ties with the suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and had participated in helping the CR17 campaign that saw President Cyril Ramaphosa emerging as the winner in that ANC elective conference.
As if that was not enough, the Ad Hoc Committee further heard of how a murder case against Mokgotsi was dropped without any reasons and how former Police Ministet Bheki Cele lied about knowing Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala way before 2024.
Brown Mogotsi told the Ad Hoc Committee he doesn’t believe Cele didn’t know Cat Matlala until 2024, saying the 2018 Crime Intelligence report with a “Big” picture of Matlala clearly labeled him as “John Wick” linked to Boko Haram in Mamelodi
Mogotsi told the Ad Hoc Committee today that Cele should have recognized businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala years earlier, based on a 2018 Crime Intelligence report labeling Matlala as “John Wick” linked to the Boko Haram gang in Mamelodi.
Mogotsi said the report, housed in the Crime Intelligence Analysis department, included a large photograph of Matlala, his identification details, and criminal history.
“At that time, it was perceived or construed as I said Cat Matlala was John Wick, or is John Wick. I saw the report in 2018, and it is still there,” he told the commission.
He added that the report should have been visible to Cele during his tenure.
“When Bheki Cele said he only met Cat once or twice, my contention was he should have seen Cat Matlala from that report. The picture was so big, and it was part of a presentation. That report exists in the Crime Intelligence Analysis,” Mogotsi said.
Cele has testified that he first met Matlala in December 2024 and denied receiving payments or having a close friendship. Matlala, in previous testimony, alleged paying Cele R500,000 in cash as a facilitation fee related to seized firearms.
Cele rejected these claims, maintaining his contact was limited.
Mogotsi’s testimony today adds to a series of conflicting accounts regarding Cele’s knowledge of Matlala, the “John Wick” vigilante moniker, and potential financial dealings.
Mogotsi further claimed Matlala personally told him from prison that he had traveled to uMhlanga in Dbn to meet Mkhwanazi and had given him “something,” which Mogotsi interpreted as money.
“I followed Matlala to Durban at the time, believing the “important person” he was meeting could have been former police minister Bheki Cele. Only later, I did learn the meeting was allegedly with Mkhwanazi,” he said.
𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘀𝗔𝗽𝗽 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗧𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗔𝘀 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝗽!
