Tsakane Matlala, the wife of controversial businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, has been arrested again, this time in connection with an investigation into an allegedly fraudulent lease agreement.
Tsakane was arrested on Tuesday, 22 September 2026, by members of the Gauteng Political Killings Task Team. Her arrest followed that of a close associate of her husband, who was also taken into custody in connection with the investigation.
According to eNCA, Tsakane is accused of falsifying bank statements to assist Matlala in securing a R95 000 lease agreement for a property in Waterkloof. Police have indicated that the investigation involves allegations that fraudulent documents were used to acquire properties in Gauteng.
National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said Tsakane and the other suspects are expected to appear in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
“It is alleged they acquired various properties across Gauteng utilising fraudulent documents,” Mathe said, according to IOL.
The latest arrest is separate from the criminal case currently being heard against Tsakane and her husband in the Johannesburg High Court.
Why was Tsakane Matlala arrested again?
Police are investigating an alleged fraudulent lease arrangement involving Matlala.
eNCA reported that Tsakane allegedly falsified bank statements to help her husband obtain a R95 000 lease agreement in Waterkloof. Matlala allegedly used an Eswatini identity document when applying for the lease.
The investigation has already resulted in the arrest of Matlala’s close associate, with two further arrests expected, according to eNCA.
EWN reported that four people in total had been arrested in connection with the suspected fraudulent lease agreement and that investigators were still gathering information about the roles allegedly played by each suspect.
The allegations have not been tested in court and the accused remain presumed innocent unless convicted.
This is not Tsakane’s first arrest
Tsakane’s latest arrest comes just over a year after she was first arrested alongside her husband in connection with the alleged attempted assassination of his former partner, actress and socialite Tebogo Thobejane.
In 2025, Matlala, Tsakane and other accused were arrested after investigators linked them to the shooting of Thobejane’s vehicle in Sandton in October 2023.
Thobejane survived the shooting, while a friend who was travelling with her was injured.
Tsakane was subsequently released on R20 000 bail. The Citizen reported that the bail was granted partly because of her health circumstances and her responsibilities as a mother to young children.
At an August 2025 appearance in the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court, Tsakane was one of the accused who was already out on bail, while Matlala and other accused remained in custody. The matter was being prepared for the centralisation of several criminal dockets.
The case that put the Matlala couple in the High Court
The original case has since grown considerably.
Matlala, Tsakane, Musa Kekana, Tiego Floyd Mabusela and Nthabiseng Nzama are facing 25 charges in the Johannesburg High Court.
The charges relate to three alleged assassination attempts between August 2022 and January 2024, involving Thobejane, businessman and taxi boss Joe “Ferrari” Sibanyoni, and music producer Seunkie Mokubung, also known as DJ Vettys.
The National Prosecuting Authority previously said the charges included 11 counts of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, money laundering and other offences.
Tsakane is specifically charged as an alleged accessory after the fact in relation to the attempted killing of Thobejane, as well as facing money-laundering and fraud-related allegations.
On 20 July 2026, all five accused pleaded not guilty when the High Court trial formally got under way.
What has happened in court so far?
The case has been through several stages since the arrests in 2025.
The matter initially appeared before the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court while prosecutors worked to centralise multiple dockets from different jurisdictions. The NPA said the dockets included matters originating from Pretoria, Sandton, Orlando and Vereeniging.
By January 2026, the case had moved to the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg for pre-trial proceedings. The NPA confirmed that Matlala, Tsakane and the other accused were facing 25 charges.
The trial eventually began on 20 July.
Tsakane and the other accused pleaded not guilty to the charges. The state has presented its case while the defence has challenged aspects of the evidence.
The proceedings have also included a trial-within-a-trial concerning evidence obtained during Musa Kekana’s 2024 arrest. The High Court has been considering whether that evidence should be admitted in the main case.
Who is Tsakane Matlala?
Tsakane Matlala is best known publicly as Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala’s wife, but she has also had business interests of her own.
She was previously known as Tsakane Baloyi and has been identified as the sole director of Buena Vista Learning Academy, a company that became the subject of scrutiny during the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.
The company was awarded an Ekurhuleni municipal training contract, and evidence presented to the commission raised questions about its registration, accreditation and the amount ultimately paid to the company.
According to reporting on the commission proceedings, the company initially submitted a bid worth R66 500, but payments of approximately R3.7 million were subsequently made to it. The City of Ekurhuleni later asked the Public Protector to investigate the allegations surrounding the contract.
These are allegations and findings being examined through investigative and oversight processes and should not be treated as criminal convictions against Tsakane.
Her husband’s wider legal troubles
Tsakane’s legal problems have unfolded alongside those of her husband, who has become the subject of several criminal investigations and high-profile public inquiries.
Matlala is currently on trial in Johannesburg alongside Tsakane and three other accused over the alleged assassination plots. He has pleaded not guilty.
His name has also featured prominently during the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry following allegations by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi concerning alleged links between organised crime, policing and political influence.
Matlala appeared before the commission in August 2026 and invoked his legal privilege when questioned about the R360 million Medicare24 police health-services contract.
What happens next for Tsakane?
Tsakane is expected to appear in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, 23 September 2026, together with the other suspects arrested in the latest investigation.
The court appearance should provide more clarity on the exact charges, the alleged fraudulent documents and the state’s case against each accused.
Her new arrest does not replace or automatically affect the High Court case already under way in Johannesburg. That matter concerns the separate allegations arising from the alleged attempted assassination plots and related financial offences.
Tsakane therefore now faces two distinct legal processes – the existing High Court trial in Johannesburg and the newly opened fraud investigation arising from the alleged fraudulent lease and property documents.
