Controversial businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala lied about his dual citizenship, Crime Intel. Boss, Lt-Gen. Dumisani Khumalo, told the ad hoc committee.
Crime Intelligence head Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo has told Parliament that allegedtender tycoon Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlalalied under oath about holding an Eswatini identity document, saying forensic evidence proved Matlala possessed and used it. Khumalo addressed Parliament’s ad hoc committee probing corruption and political interference in the criminal justice system on Thursday in Cape Town. His testimony sharply dismantled Matlala’s earlier claims that an Eswatini ID linked to the surname “Dlamini” was fabricated and planted on his cellphone by investigators.
In November, Matlala denied possessing any dual citizenship and also denied using the Dlamini surname. He accused police of tampering with his phone. According to Crime Intelligence, a forensic analysis ofMatlala’s cellphone uncovered a WhatsApp exchangebetween Matlala and his wife that predated the seizure of the device.
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In the message, Matlala asked: “Please send me my Swati ID, it’s in our chats. I deleted it by mistake from my side.” His wife then sent the image of the Eswatini ID back to him. “That exchange alone destroys the allegation of tampering,” Khumalo said, adding that Matlala made a false statement to Parliament and repeated it in court without producing any expert evidence to support claims of cyber manipulation.
Khumalo further revealed that authorities in Eswatini confirmed the ID was issued to Matlala, but through what they described as highly irregular and procedurally flawed processes. The personal identification number was generated on February 12, 2024, and used to issue a national ID before a birth certificate was registered.
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