- Brigadier Rachel Matjeng has admitted to an on-and-off romantic relationship with alleged criminal Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala dating back to 2017.
- Chief Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga questioned the affair, citing WhatsApp messages that appeared business-like rather than romantic.
- Matjeng insisted the relationship was real and denied influencing any tender awarded to Matlala’s company.
Section head for quality management in the police, Brigadier Rachel Matjeng, has admitted to having an on-and-off romantic relationship with alleged criminal Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala since 2017.
She was testifying at the commission in Pretoria on Thursday, 5 February 2026.
Matjeng was responsible for managing the medical surveillance of Matlala’s Medicare24 Tshwane district contract with police. She told the commission that their communication began after Matlala requested her contact details through a mutual friend.
Matjeng described their relationship as an open secret among her close circle.
“I met Matlala in early 2017 through a colleague who had posted my photo on her WhatsApp status. The following day, she told me that my picture had attracted a lot of people and that there was a guy named ‘Cat’ who had requested my contact. She asked for my permission to share my details with him. I asked for more information about this ‘Cat’ guy, and she briefly described him.
“I then permitted her to give Mr Matlala my contact number. We started talking and ended up having a romantic relationship. It was on and off. Sometimes we would even go a year without speaking to each other. The romantic relationship was still in existence before his arrest. Mr Matlala is romantic and showered me with gifts, including money,” she said.
However, Chief Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga said WhatsApp chats between Matjeng and Matlala cast doubt on whether the pair were romantically involved. He noted that the absence of terms of endearment did not indicate people who were in love.
Matjeng defended this, saying she is not a romantic person and that they were trying to hide the affair from Matlala’s wife.
Madlanga doubled down on his view.
“It is very strange that people who are romantically involved will talk in this business-like manner,” he said.
Matjeng maintained that she never played any role in the awarding of the tender to Matlala’s company.