Matlala trial | Medical witness delay stalls Kekana torture hearing

The trial-within-a-trial into the arrest of accused number one, Musa Kekana, has been postponed after the State was unable to call a key medical witness expected to testify about injuries allegedly sustained after his arrest.

The Johannesburg High Court heard that the medic who allegedly treated Kekana was unavailable due to a family crisis, while prosecutors were still consulting with another doctor expected to present medical evidence.

The postponement follows a day dominated by explosive allegations from the defence that Kekana was suffocated with a plastic courier bag, assaulted and left coughing up blood after police took him back to his Bramley home following his April 2024 arrest, following a shooting in Vereeniging.

Lieutenant-Colonel, Tumelo Tsotetsi, who concluded his testimony before the postponement, denied any knowledge of the alleged assault. Under cross-examination by defence lawyer, Riaan Gissing, Tsotetsi maintained that he was not present when the alleged torture was said to have taken place.

He told the court that when Captain, Phimi Sekgobela, later returned with Kekana to collect gunshot residue samples, he did not notice any visible injuries. Tsotetsi said he would have advised Kekana to open a criminal case had he been aware of any assault.

Tsotetsi also testified that, to his knowledge, Kekana never reported any assault to police despite having several opportunities to do so. He stood by the State’s version that Kekana had been informed of his constitutional rights before police conducted the search.

The State then told the court it could not proceed without the medical witnesses, prompting Gissing to request that the matter stand down until the end of August. He said the defence needed time to consult its own medical expert before any doctor testified.

Judge Cassim Moosa granted the application and postponed the matter to 31 August 2026.

The trial-within-a-trial will determine whether evidence obtained after Kekana’s arrest is admissible in the main case.

Kekana, alleged underworld figure, Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala and three co-accused, have pleaded not guilty to 25 charges, including attempted murder, fraud and money laundering, linked to three alleged hit plots targeting actress Tebogo Thobejane, taxi boss Joe Sibanyoni and DJ Vettys.

Written by: Lebohang Ndashe