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A month before attempted murder accused Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala was arrested, he was engaged in a suspected cocaine sale negotiation with business associate Michael van Wyk, chats submitted as evidence at the Madlanga commission of inquiry on Monday showed. Chats between Matlala and Van Wyk, who is the CEO of Medicare24 Holdings, were laid bare at the commission by chief evidence leader Matthew Chaskalson.The chats show discussions about a suspected cocaine sale between Matlala and Van Wyk on April 6 2025, a month before Matlala was arrested for attempted murder on May 14 2025.The chats also show that in April 2025 Matlala sought a loan of R20m from “feared” security company boss Steve Motsumi for his troubled company, Medicare24, which had a R360m medical tender with the police. The chats extracted from Matlala’s phone show Matlala sent Van Wyk a video on April 6 2025 of a man weighing what are suspected to be blocks of cocaine with a “prestige” imprint. Matlala thereafter told Van Wyk: “Get me a good price.” Van Wyk responded to Matlala with a voice note saying, “We will go in at R250”. Van Wyk has denied receiving the video, which was found in his chats with Matlala. “I have never received this WhatsApp video on my cellphone,” Van Wyk’s affidavit before the commission reads. The video establishes evidence of a direct link between Matlala and Van Wyk in a suspected cocaine sale. It was the first time such evidence was presented before the commission. The police confirmed to the commission that similar “prestige” imprint blocks were seized and confirmed to be cocaine after being taken for testing at a forensic laboratory. There is no direct link, however, between the seized drugs already mentioned at the Madlanga commission and those seen in the video.“The commission can, in the absence of any other evidence, conclude that what the video [depicts] is 1kg of cocaine being weighed out,” Chaskalson said. While Van Wyk has denied receiving the video, Chaskalson said the commission was able to obtain an affidavit from another person who was discussing the cocaine sale with Matlala and who suggested a price of R350,000. Chaskalson said the man, not yet named at the commission, confirmed the video initially came from him and was authentic. “We have tracked down the third party, interviewed him and taken a statement. The third party admits he sent the video to Matlala, and he also admits the WhatsApp messages exchanged between him and Matlala are authentic,” he said. Van Wyk was scheduled to testify at the commission on Monday, but a last-minute postponement application was filed at the weekend by his attorney, Sandy du Plessis. Attorney Sandy du Plessis appears on behalf of Medicare24 CEO Michael van Wyk at the Madlanga commission at Brigitte Mabandla Judicial College in Pretoria yesterday. Picture: (Frennie Shivambu) Du Plessis told the commission her client was suffering from severe panic attacks, and a psychiatrist recommended he be admitted to a psychiatric hospital. On Sunday, “when I spoke to the psychiatrist, he said the patient [Van Wyk] needs to be admitted to a psychiatric unit in Jacaranda Hospital,” Du Plessis said. Van Wyk is at the centre of corruption allegations around the R360m police medical tender that was awarded to Medicare24. Matlala is alleged to have bankrolled top cops to get the tender.The commission, pressed for time and with a deadline of August 31 to submit its last report to President Cyril Ramaphosa, proceeded to place on record the evidence from Matlala and Van Wyk’s chats on Monday.Van Wyk has to answer to the evidence the commission has found linking him to Matlala.The chats also show Matlala sought a loan of R20m from Motsumi’s security company, Vhazhwimi Security and Protection. Motsumi lent the money to Medicare24, and Van Wyk was part of drafting the loan agreement. Motsumi is a second person who advanced money to Matlala for the tender under investigation for corruption. Matlala was also lent R10m by businessman Suliman Carrim for the same police tender. Van Wyk will also be questioned about a video he sent to Matlala of a wounded man seated inside a car riddled with bullet holes in February 2025. The man, identified as Maxwell Mlangeni — who was shot on Bethal Road in Witbank — survived the shooting. Mlangeni is the owner of logistics company Today’s Destiny Logistics. Van Wyk, in his chat, told Matlala that Mlangeni had a “problem” with George van der Merwe. Van Wyk described Van der Merwe as a former business associate. Van der Merwe is a former GM at the Gupta family’s Optimum coal mine in Mpumalanga. The commission, which is tasked with investigating allegations of criminal infiltration and drug cartel links to law enforcement agencies, will continue its hearings on Tuesday.Business Day
