Businessman Vusimuzi Matlala, also known as “Cat,” will remain in custody until at least September 2 after his bail application was postponed by the Alexandra Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
Matlala, 49, faces charges of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and money laundering. He is accused of organizing a 2023 attack on his former partner, actress Tebogo Thobejane.
He appeared briefly in court alongside four co-accused, including his wife, Tsakani Matlala. The group was under heavy police guard and restrained with shackles.
Matlala is being held as a high-risk inmate in the C-Max unit of the Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Centre, where convicted murderer Thabo Bester is also detained.
The case relates to a shooting incident on the N1 highway near Sandton in 2023. Thobejane, known for her role in the television series Muvhango, was shot in the foot during the attack. A female passenger in the same vehicle suffered a serious spinal injury.
Magistrate Dyta Prinsloo formally postponed Matlala’s bail application to September 2. The court ordered that Matlala remain in custody without bail until then. Two other co-accused were also denied bail.
The prosecution is seeking to combine multiple cases against Matlala from different jurisdictions into a single trial, which may later be moved to the Johannesburg High Court .