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No Deal: Cat Matlala returns to dock with co-accused
Businessman and alleged underworld boss Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala will stand trial alongside his co-accused after his attempt to secure a plea agreement with the State officially collapsed, sending the high-profile attempted murder case back to its starting point.
Matlala appeared in the Magistrate’s Court on Monday. He rejected a 12-year prison sentence and walked away from his plea deal with the state, sending the R228m police tender corruption case back to square one.
Matlala was accused one in the matter, with his companies Medicare24 Tshwane District and Luxo Africa Brand Investments listed as accused two and three.
Matlala pleaded guilty on June 25 to seven counts of fraud, corruption and money laundering linked to a police health tender awarded to Medicare24 Tshwane District.
The tenderpreneur, who is also accused of orchestrating the attempted murder of actress and influencer Tebogo Thobejane, had been engaged in plea discussions with the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). However, those negotiations have now been abandoned, meaning the matter will proceed to trial in the ordinary course.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago confirmed that there is no longer any plea agreement before the court.
“There is no plea agreement before court. The matter proceeds as an ordinary trial with all the accused,” Kganyago said following proceedings.
The collapse of the negotiations means Matlala rejoins his co-accused, who have remained part of the case throughout the legal process.
He will remain in custody at the C-Max section of the Kgosi Mampuru II correctional centre and faces a separate trial on 25 charges, including 11 counts of attempted murder.
The development comes just days after fresh controversy emerged around Matlala’s alleged access to firearms while already facing serious criminal charges.
Authorities recently arrested a man in Mpumalanga in connection with the alleged illegal sale of firearms to Matlala. Investigators claim the suspect supplied several weapons that were allegedly linked to Matlala despite his ongoing legal troubles. The firearms investigation is being handled separately but adds another layer to the growing list of allegations surrounding the businessman.
The NPA has indicated that the attempted murder case remains trial-ready and prosecutors are confident they will proceed against all accused together.
Matlala remains in custody after previous attempts to secure his release on bail were unsuccessful. Courts have previously ruled that he poses a flight risk and could interfere with witnesses if released.
The collapse of the deal meant Matlala was entitled to withdraw his guilty plea and the state would have to prove its case against him from scratch before a different magistrate. The matter is moved to 11 September.
Economy
Vegetables disappear from South African plates when winter hits
As temperatures drop, breakfasts become toast instead of tomatoes, lunches lean towards bread and soup, and hearty dinners replace lighter meals. It’s an entirely human response to winter, but one that can leave vegetables falling further down the shopping list.
Every winter, South Africans naturally gravitate towards warm, comforting meals, but in the process, vegetables are often the first thing to disappear from the plate. Tenderstem® broccoli believes the solution isn’t convincing people to abandon comfort food but making it easier to build vegetables into the meals they’re already cooking. Convenience is the real fix: making the healthy choice the easy one. It is the thinking behind an approach that encourages South Africans to include quick-cooking vegetables such as Tenderstem® broccoli, which needs only a few minutes to prepare and can be added straight into meals already on the stove, rather than requiring a separate dish of their own.
Cold weather tends to draw us towards warm, filling foods, with bread, pasta and other carbohydrate-heavy favourites often becoming the easiest choice. The problem is not the comfort food. It is what gets pushed aside to make room for it.
The nutritional data reflects this pattern. According to South Africa’s National Nutrition Week, adults in this country already consume an average of around 230g of fruit and vegetables daily, which is just 58% of the internationally recommended 400g intake. That is the baseline in any season. In winter, when lighter meals feel less appealing and hot, filling food becomes the natural choice, vegetables can become even easier to overlook.
Diets low in fruit and vegetables are associated with a greater risk of non-communicable diseases, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Winter also coincides with South Africa’s flu season, making a varied diet especially relevant. Vitamin C and folate both contribute to normal immune function and can be found in a range of fresh vegetables.
The answer does not require complicated dietary changes or extra time in the kitchen. It starts with building greens into the meals people are already eating.
Start the week differently
One practical way to improve winter nutrition is to remove the daily decision. A vegetable egg bake or frittata, prepared on a Sunday evening and portioned into the fridge, provides a filling breakfast containing protein, vegetables and fibre for several days. On a cold weekday morning, having something ready to reheat makes the nutritious choice the convenient one.
Brassica greens work particularly well in this format because they hold their texture when baked and release less water than softer vegetables such as courgette or spinach. Tenderstem® broccoli can be added whole, requires no trimming and is edible from floret to stem. Fold a generous handful into whisked eggs, add cheese if desired and bake at 180°C for 20 to 25 minutes. Once portioned, it can be reheated in minutes.
It also answers a familiar winter problem. Breakfast often defaults to buttered toast, cereal or a rusk when the weather is cold and time is short. Preparing a vegetable-based protein option in advance changes that routine without adding pressure to the morning.
Add to what you already cook
Quick-cooking green vegetables can be added to soups, curries and lentil dishes in the final few minutes of cooking, making them an easy part of familiar winter meals.
The key is to choose a vegetable that holds its texture, works with robust flavours and requires little preparation. Tenderstem® broccoli cooks in three to five minutes and can be used from floret to stem. Add it to a butter chicken or lamb curry shortly before serving, stir it through soup or place it in a roasting tray with the roast for the final ten minutes of cooking. Even a grilled cheese sandwich can make room for a few green stems.
Each option fits into a meal that is already being prepared, without requiring a separate dish or additional washing up. An 80g serving counts as one of your five-a-day and is high in vitamin C and folate, which contribute to normal immune function. It also provides fibre, potassium and vitamin B6. “People do not stop caring about nutrition in winter. They choose food that feels warm, filling and manageable. The easiest way to keep vegetables on the menu is to build them into those familiar meals rather than treating them as a separate side dish,” explains Elise Ruddle, Chef and Nutritionist, South African brand representative for Tenderstem®.
Winter eating does not need to become a contest between comfort and nutrition. The more realistic answer is to make vegetables part of the comfort food itself. When greens belong in the curry, soup, breakfast bake or toasted sandwich, eating them no longer depends on anyone feeling virtuous.
