PRETORIA - Witness I told the Madlanga Commission that he lived in businessman Vusimusi ‘Cat’ Matlala’s Pretoria home for two years.
He divulged this information after alleging that he had received threats from people who claimed they would expose the fact that he had lived at Matlala’s house.
Witness I decided to get ahead of the matter and revealed his accommodation arrangement at the Matlala family home himself. Despite this, he claimed that he never met Matlala during his stay and never spoke to him.
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He alleged that he only discovered later that Matlala was involved in criminal activities. At the time, he knew him only as a businessman.
Witness I told the commission that in 2021 he was mugged and his pistol was stolen. He alleged that his family was under threat because of a serious case he was investigating and that he therefore had to be relocated.
It was then that Witness I was moved to Matlala’s house.
During his testimony, Witness I said he met Brown Mogotsi while General Feroz Khan was undergoing a disciplinary hearing. Witness I was a key witness in that hearing, which related to allegations that Khan had interfered in the Aeroton drug bust in 2021.
During that period, Witness I was allegedly given a bag containing money. The commission heard that the money was allegedly provided by Matlala and passed on through Mogotsi as compensation for a favour connected to his stay at the house.
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The favour involved Witness I not testifying against Khan. In return, he was allegedly promised a promotion and additional money.
Witness I agreed to the arrangement. However, it remains unclear whether he ultimately followed through with it. He did, however, attempt to entrap officers involved in the drug bust, as well as Mogotsi.
He told the commission that he never met Mogotsi again after that incident.
In his own testimony, Mogotsi said he knew Witness I and claimed that he “loved money”.