Funding concerns raised as court insists “Cat” Matlala trial will proceed in July

The Johannesburg High Court has reaffirmed that the highly anticipated trial involving alleged underworld figure, Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala and his co-accused, will proceed on 20 July, despite concerns over the legal representation of alleged hitman, Musa Kekana.

The issue arose during proceedings on Wednesday after Kekana’s newly appointed lawyer, Joe Strauss, appeared in court for the first time following the withdrawal of his predecessor.

Strauss informed the court that funding for Kekana’s defence has not yet been fully secured and that his preferred advocate, Nardus Grové, may be unavailable during the opening days of the trial due to commitments in another matter.

The court heard that Kekana’s family has undertaken to secure the necessary funds by the end of June. The matter has since been postponed to 30 June for an update on funding arrangements and legal representation.

Despite the concerns raised by Kekana’s legal team, Judge William Karam, made it clear that the trial date remains unchanged. He noted that the issue had already been addressed in previous court appearances and that all parties had aligned their schedules to ensure readiness for the July proceedings.

Lawyers representing the other accused strongly opposed any suggestion that the trial be delayed. Matlala’s attorney, Hlawu Maluleke, argued that all parties have had sufficient time to prepare and that postponing the matter would prejudice the remaining accused and undermine efforts to bring the matter to trial.

The court was told that the interests of justice require the matter to proceed without interruption.

Matlala, Kekana, Tiego Floyd Mabusela, Tsakani Matlala and Nthabiseng Nzama face 25 charges, including attempted murder, fraud and money laundering.

The charges relate to three separate shooting incidents allegedly committed between August 2022 and January 2024.

The case returns to court on 30 June for an update on Kekana’s legal representation and funding arrangements ahead of the scheduled start of the trial on 20 July.

Written by: Lebohang Ndashe