MK Party Member of Parliament Thulani Shongwe has delivered an explosive account of his alleged kidnapping, revealing new details before Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee probing allegations against former MP Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala. Shongwe’s testimony has heightened political tensions as he described both the ordeal he endured and the critical questions he had hoped to put to Matlala before the alleged abduction.
Shongwe told the committee that he was accosted earlier this year by a group of unidentified men who forced him into a vehicle, assaulted him, and attempted to intimidate him into silence. According to his account, the attackers demanded information about internal MK Party matters and specifically referenced Matlala, who has been at the centre of controversy after claims of coercion, financial extortion, and intimidation surfaced within party structures.
During the session, Shongwe said he believed the kidnapping was directly linked to the probing questions he intended to raise with Matlala at a previous parliamentary engagement. He explained that he had prepared a set of pointed inquiries around Matlala’s alleged involvement in the intimidation of MKP members and the unexplained financial transactions that had reportedly taken place involving party-linked individuals.
“These men kept asking what I planned to expose,” Shongwe told the committee. “They wanted to know what I was going to ask Honourable Matlala and whether I intended to testify about activities that certain people did not want made public.”
Shongwe revealed that the kidnappers held him for several hours, forcing him to withdraw money from his bank account before abandoning him on the outskirts of Johannesburg. He filed a criminal complaint shortly after the incident.
The Ad Hoc Committee chairperson described Shongwe’s testimony as “deeply troubling” and reaffirmed Parliament’s responsibility to safeguard members from intimidation or interference. Several MPs across party lines expressed concern over what they termed a “disturbing pattern” of threats against legislators associated with sensitive internal investigations.
Matlala, who resigned from Parliament amid swirling allegations, has repeatedly denied any involvement in the kidnapping or in any coercive conduct. He is expected to be called again for questioning as the committee continues its inquiry.
The investigation is set to resume next week, with additional witnesses from the MK Party and law enforcement agencies scheduled to appear. Parliament has vowed to ensure a thorough probe, insisting that no MP should be threatened for fulfilling their constitutional duties.
