A Hawks officer has made a dramatic disclosure at the Madlanga commission, admitting he secretly lived at the home of alleged underworld figure Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala – despite previously denying any link to him.
The officer, known only as Witness I, has been testifying about the controversial July 2021 Aeroton drug bust, where 715.86 kg of cocaine were seized.
The inquiry is also investigating how 136.46 kgs of the drugs later vanished from the forensic laboratory of the South African Police Service (Saps), in what is believed to be an inside job.
Hidden detail surfaces at Madlanga commission
The revelation about Witness I’s stay at Matlala’s family home in Mamelodi, east of Pretoria, emerged only after he submitted a supplementary statement on Wednesday, 10 June 2026.
He told the commission he had initially withheld the information because he did not view it as “significant”.
However, he changed course after receiving what he described as threats following his testimony on Tuesday, 9 June.
“Yesterday, after my testimony, I received a number of calls warning me that the seniors are not happy with my testimony.
“One of my members informed me that there is a plan to disclose my stay at Mr Matlala’s house as a way of discrediting me.
“I considered the warning important and deemed it a threat to shut me up or to discredit me.
“I, therefore, thought it important to bring this issue to the commission’s attention and to disclose fully what happened during the time I resided at Mr Matlala’s house,” he said on Wednesday.
Mamelodi home
Now attached to the Hawks’ Tactical Operations Management Section (TOMS), Witness I said he stayed at the Mamelodi property without initially knowing it belonged to Matlala.
The arrangement, he claimed, was facilitated by Captain Felani Zungu, who instructed him to go into hiding.
“Yesterday, I testified that I do not have a direct relationship with Mr Matlala and that any communication was facilitated by Captain Zungu.
“I did not disclose that in 2023, I stayed at Mr Matlala’s family property in Mamelodi for a period of approximately two years.”
Watch the Madlanga commission below:
‘Left me for dead’
The move followed a violent attack on his life in September 2023, which he described in harrowing detail.
“I was residing in Mamelodi when a group of four men attacked me at my residence. I was inside the house when I heard a loud bang at the gate.
“I went outside with my wife, holding my state firearm. When I opened the gate, the group attacked me and hit my head with a metal object, resulting in a serious head injury.
“I was bleeding and incapacitated when they assaulted me, breaking my left hand and several fingers. They then stole my state-issued firearm and left me for dead.”
He was hospitalised for about a week after his wife called for help.
The Hawks officer also confirmed that his state firearm was later recovered by TOMS members.
“I heard that the attack was a hit and that the group was actually sent to kill me. I did not get any information regarding who may have sent the group to kill me.”
‘I knew Cat Matlala as a businessman’
Only later did Witness I discover the identity of the property owner.
“At the time, this did not concern me because I knew Mr Matlala as a businessman. During my stay, I did not meet or talk to Mr Matlala.
“I have had no direct communication with Mr Matlala until I met him with Captain Zungu and Brigadier Mokoena, as mentioned in my statement.”
Bribery claims
In his earlier testimony on Tuesday, Witness I testified that Matlala was an informer who often assisted the TOMS with tip-offs.
He revealed that he heard allegations that Matlala was using the police to “eliminate his rivals”.
The Hawks officer also alleged that Matlala attempted to bribe him in a matter related to senior Crime Intelligence officer Feroz Khan.
Khan had been charged internally and was facing disciplinary proceedings over his role in the Aeroton drug bust.
According to Witness I, the alleged approach took place in January 2025, when he met political fixer Oupa Brown Mogotsi and a Crime Intelligence member he was familiar with at the Houghton Hotel in Sandton.
At the meeting facilitated by Matlala, he claimed he was offered a “bag” – presumably with money in it – and a promotion in exchange for him to “fix things” by deposing a statement in order to have Khan cleared.
Witness I told the commission he rejected the bribe as such conduct amounted to perjury.
Playing along
However, the Hawks officer decided to “play along as a means of entrapping them”, hoping to arrange a second meeting where arrests could be made.
The follow-up meeting never materialised.
He also admitted he chose not to report the incident at the time, fearing that doing so would compromise the operation.
Witness I on Wednesday clarified that he never received any cash.
“I was waiting for the CI guy and Brown to contact me to bring the bag as they promised so I could arrest them.”
In addition, he claimed that the recording of the meeting tampered with after transcriptions appeared not to support his bribery claims.
The officer alleged that only selective portions of the recording were shown in the transcript.
“They don’t reflect what truly happened.”
Aeroton drug bust
Witness I’s testimony adds to mounting concerns about how the Aeroton drug bust was handled.
Multiple witnesses have accused Khan of improperly taking control of the crime scene, allegedly to shield those connected to the drugs.
An investigation by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) recommended disciplinary action, citing procedural violations such as blocking K9 units from accessing the scene.
While an investigation by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) recommended disciplinary action, Khan was ultimately cleared.
The commission has also raised concerns about the probe, suggesting that discrepancies in Ipid investigator Takalani Maphosho’s report may have influenced the outcome.
Khan is expected to testify before the commission on 1 July.
