MADLANGA COMMISSION: Matlala’s ties to tenderpreneur opens new Tembisa Hospital procurement trail

Organised crime-accused Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala’s ties to Hangwani Morgan Maumela have come under scrutiny at the Madlanga Commission, while Matlala also appeared to be a conduit for payments between Maumela and the late alleged ‘Big Five’ boss Jothan Msibi.

During his second consecutive day of testimony before the Madlanga Commission on Tuesday, 25 August, a new layer emerged in Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala’s evidence as his longstanding business relationship with tender tycoon Hangwani Morgan Maumela came under scrutiny, potentially opening a link between their medical equipment dealings and the wider Tembisa Hospital procurement scandal.

Matlala has moved beyond simply acknowledging that he knew Maumela, describing a joint medical-equipment business dating back to around 2018/19, when the two pooled money to pursue a Gauteng Department of Health request for quotations (RFQs) for medical equipment and shared profits.

The evidence comes as Matlala continues to invoke his constitutional privilege against self-incrimination on questions linked to ongoing investigations.

On Monday, the commission began testing the limits of that claim, pressing Matlala to explain how answering specific questions could incriminate him rather than allowing him to rely on a blanket refusal.

Matlala’s evidence about Maumela carries particular weight because of Maumela’s central role in alleged corruption at Tembisa Hospital, where the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has uncovered more than R2-billion in irregular payments.

The Tembisa investigation also forms part of the wider story surrounding the assassination of whistleblower Babita Deokaran on 23 August 2021 , who had raised concerns about suspicious procurement at the hospital before she was killed.

The scale of the alleged network has since become clearer. In October 2025, the SIU raided Maumela’s Sandhurst home and seized luxury vehicles, including three Lamborghinis. More recently, the State obtained a R326-million forfeiture order involving assets linked to the alleged Tembisa Hospital corruption network, including luxury vehicles and properties.

Three of Matlala’s companies secured about R13.5-million through an alleged corrupt procurement network, according to an investigation into the “Maumela Syndicate” involved in the Tembisa Hospital corruption scandal.

Evidence leader advocate Mahlape Sello SC asked how Matlala and Maumela’s relationship developed and whether it included financial or business dealings.

Matlala said they met around 2015/16 through their shared passion for sports cars, initially meeting at a Sandton restaurant before their friendship developed into a business relationship.

“We started our relationship because of the love of cars,” Matlala said.

But the relationship soon moved beyond cars. Matlala told the commission that he and Maumela jointly submitted RFQs, pooling money to buy medical equipment required to fulfil successful bids and later sharing the profits.

The first RFQ was in 2018, from the Gauteng Department of Health, for medical consumables. Matlala said their successful bids over about three years were collectively worth less than R5-million.