'Cat' steps out in designer style - but for the shackles

Clad in a luxury Burberry belt and shoes, paired with brown trousers and a white buttoned shirt with patterned cuffs, Vusimuzi “Cat” stepped out in style to testify at parliament’s ad hoc committee of police - but it was the shackles around his feet and waist that got the press cameras clicking.

- Marizka Coetzer

A clearly uncomfortable Matlala is presently incarcerated for attempted murder at the Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Centre in Pretoria, where the committee sat yesterday, to investigate the allegations made by South African Police Service (Saps) KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Head, Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.

Matlala continuously rolled up and adjusted his sleeves as committee chair Soviet Lekganyane guided the businessman through what the meeting would entail.

While the majority of the committee had no issue proceeding with an unsigned statement, two uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party committee members raised concerns that it may leave loopholes.

They called for the proper documents to be signed and commissioned before continuing.

But ActionSA’s Dereleen Elana James would have none of it: “Let’s proceed; the country wants answers.”

The DA’s advocate Glynnis Breytenbach said they had no difficulties with the proposal, which Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema also agreed on.