Gauteng Organised Crime Unit officer Sergeant Fannie Nkosi defended allegations of bribery linked to alleged crime mastermind Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala.
Image: Oupa Mokoena / Independent Newspapers
Sergeant Fannie Nkosi of the Gauteng Organised Crime Unit found himself at the centre of controversy this week as he defended his decision not to relay crucial information regarding Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala, an alleged crime mastermind.
The discussion gained traction following revelations that Matlala had "urgently" sought the return of his credit card due to upcoming high-profile meetings with Deputy President Paul Mashatile and Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya — claims that have been ''categorically'' denied by Mashatile, who has distanced himself from the allegations surrounding the encounters.
These claims were made on Monday at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry in Pretoria, where Nkosi was grilled over inconsistencies in his testimony.
Nkosi previously testified that Matlala handed over his credit card for specific purchases, including boat seats, a boat cover, and a service kit for Matlala's jet ski and boat.
Chief evidence leader Advocate Matthew Chaskalson SC probed Nkosi's inconsistent statements, highlighting discrepancies between his handwritten account and the typed version submitted to the commission.
Part of the handwritten statement detailed a police raid at Nkosi's house on October 8, 2025, where R385,175 cash found in his safe was confiscated.
Nkosi said the police asked if he possessed Matlala's bank card and he answered that he did not have the card with him.
He testified that his hand-written statement erroneously mentioned that Matlala called him, clarifying that he had actually called Matlala, not the other way around.
The commission was earlier told Matlala had called Nkosi to convey that he needed the card urgently because he had a meeting with Mashatile and later another meeting with Sibiya. The details of the two meetings and whether they took place were not disclosed.
Chaskalson asked Nkosi why Matlala needed the card, given that Nkosi was going to meet Mashatile and later Sibiya.
Nkosi responded that he preferred not to speculate on Matlala's intentions with the card, and denied intentionally withholding Mashatile's name to protect him.
Chaskalson suggested that the card was given to Nkosi "essentially to pay a bribe to you and Sibiya through you".
Nkosi said:"Matlala has no reason for the so-called bribe through his card. I was not investigating him and I didn't do him any favour."
He added that If it was a bribe he would not have allowed the paper trail to follow him.
Chaskalson highlighted Nkosi's inconsistent testimony, pointing out he initially stated finding the credit card in September—both in his handwritten statement and early testimony—but later changed it to December, revealing a clear contradiction.
"The second contradiction is how you found that card, whether you found it independently and whether you found it because you were called by Matlala. In a handwritten statement it was Matlala alerted you to the existence of the card. It is clear that it is not you calling Matlala. In the typed statement the version is that you found the card and you then called Matlala," Chaskalson said.
He further noted that the third contradiction concerned the location where Nkosi claimed to have found the card, as this detail was absent from both his handwritten and typed statements.
"In oral evidence you have given two different versions. The first version is on your way back you found that on your way back from Limpopo where you fetched the jet ski. The second version is that you found it at Haartebeespoort when you opened the dash looking for the keys of the jet ski," he said.
Nkosi attributed the inconsistencies in his testimony to human error on his part.
He told the commission the R385,175 cash found in his safe during the October 8, 2025 police raid broke down to R5,175 of his own money and R380,000 belonging to his brother, Abednigo Bongani Nkosi.
He explained that the R380,000 was his brother's proceeds from the sale of his truck for R400,000, with R20,000 still outstanding.
The sale agreement was between Abednigo Nkosi and Harty Ngoato, who is Nkosi's legal representative at the commission.
Chaskalson said the sale agreement does not look like a sale put together by an attorney.
"These documents have the appearance of documents that were put together in a hurry to try to explain the R380,000 and there are no documents that existed at the time," said Chaskalson.
Keith Khoza, a spokesperson for Mashatile, stated that Mashatile has heard Sergeant Nkosi's claims at the Madlanga Commission on 23 March that the deputy president met with Matlala or that the latter planned to meet with him.
“Deputy President Mashatile categorically denies the claims. Of significance is that the deputy president does not know the individuals referenced in the testimony and has never had any association or dealings with them. Of greater significance is that the deputy president was out of the country at the time that Mr Matlala purportedly met with him or intended to do so.”
Khoza also stated that Mashatile is willing to cooperate with the commission.
Additional reporting by The Star Reporter