‘You Look Up in the Sky, Roll Your Eyes and Shake Your Head’: Advocate Stops Matlala Trial to Challenge Judge

Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala_Vusimuzi Cat Matlala Advocate Annelene van den Heever911 South Africa - Johannesburg - 23 July 2026 - Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala's legal representative Advocate Annelene van den Heever was not happy with Judge Cassim Moosa "rolling his eyes and shaking his head".

A moment of unexpected courtroom tension interrupted proceedings in the Johannesburg High Court on Thursday when an advocate representing Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala and his wife challenged the presiding judge over what she described as his reaction to her arguments.

Advocate Annelene Van den Heever halted her cross-examination of the State’s first witness after Judge Cassim Moosa questioned the direction of her line of questioning.

“Sorry, can we just stop,” Van den Heever said.

“Pause for a second.