JOHANNESBURG — The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry has heard explosive testimony detailing how the Ekurhuleni municipality allegedly became entangled with suspected criminal kingpin Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala — a link said to have been facilitated through suspended Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) Deputy Chief Julius Mkhwanazi.
Mkhwanazi testified that his relationship with Matlala can be traced back to 2021, when colleagues within the EMPD introduced him to Medicare24 founder Mike van Wyk. Matlala’s Medicare24 Tshwane District, he said, operated under Van Wyk’s parent company.
Van Wyk’s name previously surfaced before Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee probing corruption and political interference in the criminal justice system. There, Matlala told lawmakers he first met Van Wyk in 2018 at the estate where they both lived, and that what began as neighbourly interactions evolved into a “business opportunity” to expand Medicare24 into townships.
According to earlier testimony, Van Wyk allegedly sought to manage and expand township health clinics — an arrangement Matlala believed made sense because he was already supplying medical equipment to hospitals.
At the Madlanga Commission, Mkhwanazi described a similar proposal presented directly to him — this time offering emergency medical support for metro police officers.
| “His idea was to assist with first response when our members are injured in incidents — stabbings, shootings, accidents. He said they would stabilise the member and assist with clinics or hospitals if the officer had medical aid. He even mentioned they could facilitate situations where a chopper was needed to speed up the process.”
Mkhwanazi said he escalated the proposal to his superior, who advised that such matters fell within the City of Ekurhuleni’s domain because they involved health and medical aid services. A formal engagement reportedly followed, with Van Wyk presenting the proposal to senior City management — including all heads of department and the municipal manager. Mkhwanazi says he did not attend that meeting.
His links to Matlala deepened further through CAT VIP Security, a company owned by Matlala. Mkhwanazi testified that he was informed by his team that several individuals working with Van Wyk were part of CAT VIP.
| “Those guys are trained and are from special task force, SAPS, army — but are recruited and working for a company called CAT VIP Security,” he said.
Despite the company not being listed on the municipality’s service provider database, Mkhwanazi admitted to making use of CAT VIP’s security services for the 2022 Ekurhuleni State of the City Address.
The commission is expected to continue probing how alleged criminal networks infiltrated municipal structures, and whether officials facilitated unlawful access to state institutions.
