Cat Matlala trial: Cop denies assault after alleged hitman ‘coughed blood’ during arrest
· Citizen
A police officer rejected claims that one of the suspects in the attempted murder trial involving alleged mastermind Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala was assaulted at the time of arrest.
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Captain Phimi Alfred Sekgobela, the state’s third witness, returned to the stand on Tuesday, 28 July 2026, before the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg, where a trial-within-a-trial is currently under way.
The special hearing aims to determine whether contested evidence – related to Musa Kekana’s arrest – can be admitted in the main trial.
Kekana was arrested in Bramley, Johannesburg, hours following the fatal shooting of Vereeniging engineer Armand Swart, who was killed in a case of mistaken identity on 17 April 2024.
Cat Matlala attempted murder trial continues
Sekgobela, a tactical response team (TRT) officer, detailed how investigators traced a stolen white Hyundai i20 to Kekana’s residence in Kew.
The vehicle had earlier been taken during an armed robbery in January 2024.
Despite Kekana’s denial that he drove the car, earlier testimony from private security officer Christiaan Frederick Sheppard suggested otherwise, with claims that his fingerprints were allegedly recovered from the vehicle.
Authorities also discovered firearms inside the car, including an AK-47 allegedly linking him to multiple attempted assassinations.
The court heard that Sekgobela had tasked Sheppard with monitoring both the Hyundai i20 and a Mercedes-Benz V-Class – also referred to as a Viano – linked to former police detective Michael Pule Tau.
Both vehicles were believed to be connected to Swart’s murder.
According to Sekgobela, Sheppard reported that Kekana arrived at the Kew property driving the Hyundai i20, while the V-Class departed shortly afterward.
The police later intercepted the V-Class and arrested Kekana and Tau.
Sekgobela testified that he informed them of their constitutional rights before conducting a search of the vehicle.
Items recovered included number plates, cellphones, and a small bag.
He maintained that the search was conducted with Kekana’s consent.
“He said he does not have a problem,” Sekgobela told the court on Tuesday.
Accused’s health scare
After the arrest, officers proceeded to Kekana’s nearby residence.
Upon arrival, Kekana – who was handcuffed – opened the gate using a remote control.
Sekgobela told the court that Kekana began coughing up blood, staining his “mustard-coloured” top.
“He started coughing and I asked him if there was any medication that he was taking,” the witness said.
The police provided him with a towel from inside the house while arranging medical assistance.
“I explained to him that I was calling an ambulance to come and attend to him. I gave him the towel so that he does not smear or stain blood on his clothing.”
Emergency medical services personnel arrived roughly 30 minutes later and treated Kekana before transporting him to hospital.
“[The paramedics] said they needed him to be checked by the doctor, so they wanted to get him admitted to the hospital even though he did not seem seriously ill.”
Sekgobela denied that Kekana had been assaulted at any point.
The officer also testified that he later requested the accused’s jersey for forensic testing to check for gunshot residue.
“He agreed and also asked me, because he was feeling cold, to get him another jacket to warm,” Sekgobela testified.
He added that, while in the presence of police officers, Kekana went into the house and picked out a black top before heading back to the ambulence.
Images of both the Hyundai i20 and the clothing item were presented in court as part of the proceedings.
Warrant
Addressing concerns about the legality of the search, Sekgobela argued that the evidence available at the time justified immediate action without a warrant.
He told the court that CCTV footage placing the Hyundai i20 at the Vereeniging crime scene strengthened his position.
“With the positive information that I had in hand and… the clips of the footage I received from the main scene in Vereeniging, I believed that the warrant would have been granted.”
Sekgobela explained that he acted in line with Section 22 of the Criminal Procedure Act (CPA), which permits warrantless searches when there is a risk that key evidence could be lost or destroyed.
Kekana is standing trial alongside Matlala, Tsakane Matlala, Tiego Floyd Mabusela, and Nthabiseng Zandile Nzama, all of whom face 25 charges tied to a string of attempted murder incidents between 2022 and 2024.
These include an alleged plot against taxi boss Joe “Ferrari” Sibanyoni, an attempt on influencer Tebogo Thobejane, and a case involving music producer Seunkie “DJ Vettys” Mokubung.
All five accused have pleaded not guilty.