JOHANNESBURG – Cat Matlala dodges questions on multimillion rand tender, citing risk of incrimination
PRETORIA – Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala told the Ad Hoc Committee he won’t be able to delve deeper into the R360-million South African Police Service (SAPS) health services contract awarded to him.
He says, he would not want to incriminate himself, as there is an ongoing investigation.
READ | ‘Cat’ Matlala’s ‘unsigned statement’ stirs disagreement among MPs
Matlala appeared before Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee probing allegations of corruption and political infiltration within the justice system.
He was, however, reluctant to explain how his company, Medicare24 Tshwane District, was awarded the tender, which has now come into the spotlight for irregular procurement.
Matlala revealed that he was introduced to the healthcare business in 2018 by a man named Mike van Wyk, who lived in the same estate as him.
“It was a business opportunity… He asked me what I do for a living and I told him that besides the security thing I do RFQ which is supplying medical equipment to hospitals. When I mentioned the word hospital that’s when I got his attention.
“He told me that he wanted to expand and send proposals to manage clinics in townships and that since I was black I would have more advantage than them. He then said they would register the company for me, then I get business while they do management,” Matlala detailed.
Evidence leader advocate Norman Arendse, upon listening to this explanation, questioned Matlala if this was not a front to secure business. Matlala denied this.
“If someone is fronting you would not be 100% in charge of their finances… It a genuine business… They do the management part meaning I pay them a management fee,” he said.
He emphasised that the deal between them was that of a franchisor and franchisee relationship with Mike van Wyk.
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