Cat Matlala attempted murder trial moved to 2 November at Johannesburg High Court

The attempted murder trial of Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala and four co-accused will begin on 2 November at the High Court in Johannesburg, after the matter was postponed on Thursday by agreement between the state and the defence teams.

Matlala is accused of planning three failed attacks on his former girlfriend, Tebogo Thobejane, businessman Joe Sibanyoni and music producer Seunkie Mokubung, who is known as DJ Vettys. The alleged attacks took place between August 2022 and January 2024.

Judge Cassim Moosa granted the postponement after hearing that Professor Saayman, a state witness, is not available for three weeks in October and can only testify at the end of that month. The parties agreed to the new date rather than proceed without him.

The accused and the charges

Matlala and his four co-accused face counts of attempted murder arising from the three alleged incidents. The case has drawn attention because two of the complainants are public figures and the third, Thobejane, is a former partner of the accused.

None of the accused has been convicted. The charges against them remain allegations that the state must prove beyond a reasonable doubt.

What the postponement means

The delay pushes the trial into November, more than four years after the earliest alleged incident. For the complainants, that means another wait before testimony begins. For the accused, the charges remain pending.

The High Court in Johannesburg will hear the matter in courtroom 4F. Judge Moosa’s order sets the date but does not set a timetable for how long the trial will run.

The next step

The trial is set to start on Monday, 2 November 2026 at the High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Division, Johannesburg. The state is expected to call Professor Saayman at the end of October, once he is available.

Source: SABC News (website), Attempted murder case against Cat Matlala and four others postponed