The tried homicide trial of businessman and alleged underworld determine Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala and his 4 co-accused has been set down for 30 court docket days.
The court docket ordered that the trial proceed uninterrupted from 20 July to 7 August, with a quick intermission to renew from 31 August to 18 September.
Matlala appeared within the Johannesburg Excessive Courtroom on Monday and pleaded not responsible to 25 expenses, together with tried homicide, conspiracy to commit homicide, cash laundering, fraud and firearms-related offences.
Matlala is being tried alongside his spouse, Tsakane Matlala, alleged hitmen Musa Kekana and Tiego Floyd Mabusela and Nthabiseng Nzama, Kekana’s daughter.
Kekana and Mabusela are accused of finishing up the deliberate shootings, whereas Nzama faces cash laundering expenses for allegedly utilizing her enterprise account to channel greater than R100 000 to facilitate the assaults.
“We have finished the pretrial proceedings, you have pleaded to the costs, I’ve heard the submissions by counsel and the state has learn the cost sheet,” the presiding decide stated.
The decide famous that the tried homicide expenses might entice life imprisonment until substantial and compelling circumstances justified a lesser sentence. The court docket additional highlighted that convictions for the unlawful possession of firearms carried 25 years and ammunition 15 years of prescribed minimal sentences.
“Be aware of the truth that from this level onwards, when the state is main its proof, it’s going to argue on the finish of the day that, within the occasion that the accused individuals are convicted, the court docket should proceed to use the provisions of the Minimal Sentences Act,” the decide stated.
The court docket additionally ordered that each one accused be supplied with writing materials to allow them to take notes throughout proceedings.
“I need you to take an energetic half in your defence in the course of the course of this trial,” the decide stated. “To that extent, what I’ll permit is for each accused particular person to be supplied with writing materials in order that, while the proof of the witnesses is being tendered, it is possible for you to to make notes.”
The decide stated the association would permit the accused to seek the advice of with their authorized representatives on points arising from witness testimony with out repeatedly interrupting proceedings.
The case centres on three alleged contract killing plots carried out between August 2022 and January 2024.
The state alleges that Matlala orchestrated assaults on six people in three separate drive-by shootings.
The focused people embrace actress and socialite Tebogo Thobejane, Matlala’s former girlfriend, who was shot and wounded in an ambush on the N1 close to Sandton in October 2023. A passenger travelling together with her sustained extreme spinal accidents and was left paralysed.
The indictment additionally consists of an August 2022 tried hit on Mpumalanga businessman and taxi operator Joe “Ferrari” Sibanyoni, in addition to a January 2024 capturing concentrating on music producer Seunkie Mokubung, recognized professionally as DJ Vettys.
