Madlanga Commission chairperson Mbuyiseli Madlanga has reportedly rejected an application by Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala to keep a statement linked to his collapsed plea deal out of his testimony, as the commission resumed public hearings on Monday.

The commission said in a statement that Matlala would be on the witness stand on 9 and 10 November 2026. Matlala is an accused in separate criminal proceedings and is presumed innocent.

What was argued

According to an account of the hearing, Matlala's counsel, Advocate Annelene van den Heever, argued against admitting an unsigned statement she said reveals evidence given in the failed plea-deal process. She argued that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) had violated the rules by providing the document to the commission, and said that state prosecutors had been party to the agreement.

She was quoted as saying: "The NPA word is not their word anymore."

Evidence leader Advocate Mahlape Sello argued that the collapse of the plea deal meant it no longer protected the statement Matlala gave as a witness. "We submit therefore there is no basis for the document not to be admitted into evidence," she was quoted as saying.

Sello also reportedly argued that Matlala still has two protections: the self-incrimination provisions of the commission's governing law, and a regulation that bars evidence given to the commission from being used against him in court. She was also reported to have said that his defence had known about the evidence and had not objected earlier.

How the plea deal fell apart

Matlala signed a section 105A plea-and-sentence agreement with the NPA in June, admitting to fraud, corruption and money laundering linked to the Medicare24 contract. The agreement collapsed in July after the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court rejected an effective eight-year sentence and indicated that it would impose 12 years. Matlala then withdrew and the guilty plea fell away.

On Saturday the commission ordered the evidence leaders and Matlala's lawyers to file written submissions of no more than 15 pages on the scope of section 105A(10) of the Criminal Procedure Act, and what it means for the evidence Matlala may be asked to give.

What comes next

Matlala is due back on Tuesday. The commission has said that Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi and Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo will return to give evidence under subpoena in the coming weeks. Its final report is due to the President by 25 January 2027.

What we do not yet know

The NPA has not been quoted responding to the claims made on Monday. We have not seen the text of the chairperson's ruling, and it is not yet clear what Matlala said in testimony after it was made. We will update this story as more information becomes available.