Shibiri: Contact with Matlala a week before arrest was part of criminal probe
Suspended head of organised crime at the South African Police Service, Richard Shibiri, told the Madlanga Commission on Wednesday that his contact with alleged crime boss Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala a week before Matlala’s arrest in May 2025 was strictly for investigative purposes.
Matlala faces charges in connection with the attempted murder of his former girlfriend, Tebogo Thobejane.
Shibiri said the contact was linked to a person of interest police were trying to track down.
“He was providing security to a person of interest we were looking for,” Shibiri told the commission.
“We exchanged numbers, and if he saw the person, he would assist us.”
When pressed by Commissioner Sandile Khumalo on why he had not run a background check on Matlala, Shibiri defended his approach.
“In my lifetime I meet a lot of people. I do not look into them unless I have a reason. At that time, he appeared to be a good person. I had nothing against him, and I had not heard anything bad.”
Shibiri recounted first meeting Matlala in 2016 through a mutual acquaintance.
“They would talk about their work, and sometimes about life and sports, but most of the time the talk was between themselves. I just listened.”
He added that contact resumed in 2019 when he accompanied Brigadier Modise to Matlala’s premises for work purposes.
“It was an investigation. I drafted the investigation plan and was asked to assist with the province’s grouping. Our aim was to locate the person of interest, nothing else,” he said.
Shibiri stressed that his interactions with Matlala were strictly professional.
“Organised crime requires penetration and infiltration. You speak to different people, some good, some bad, to get information. That was my objective. nothing more.”
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