Ekurhuleni awarded R3.4m tender to Cat Matlala’s wife despite ‘red flags’

Businessman Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala appears alongside co-accused Tsakani Matlala at Alexandra Magistrate’s Court on October 07, 2025 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Gallo Images/Sharon Seretlo) In 2023, the Ekurhuleni municipality’s Human Resources Department, Strategic HR and Talent Management, advertised a tender for accredited skills development providers to implement various qualification and skills programmes. The training would be on an as-and-when required basis from the date of award until 30 June 2026, and the closing date to apply for the tender was 24 July 2023.

Mashazi’s involvement would only be to appoint the bid specification committee, bid evaluation committee and the bid adjudication committee. Gxasheka said she, too, was not involved in the processes. One of the successful bidders was Buena Vista Learning Academy and was awarded in November 2023.

The commission reviewed what they regarded as “red flags” that should have disqualified the company from the tender bid. The company was controlled by Tsakane Baloyi, the wife of tenderpreneur Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala. The company’s registered address was the same as Baloyi’s residential address.

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Two previous directors had resigned, and Baloyi became a director of the company on 26 June 2023. This was a week after the bid invitation was advertised and less than a month before the closing date.

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