Chaos erupted at the Johannesburg High Court on Monday 8 September 2026 after proceedings in the Cat Matlala trial were postponed to Thursday. Musa Kekana allegedly scuffled with court police and Matlala was seen clashing angrily with his own defence lawyer Annelene van den Heever. Image: supplied
Proceedings in the attempted murder trial of alleged underworld figure Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala descended into chaos at the Johannesburg High Court on Monday 8 September 2026. The Cat Matlala trial chaos erupted after Judge Cassim Moosa postponed the trial within a trial to Thursday 10 September 2026. Furthermore, Musa Kekana allegedly broke into a physical scuffle with court police and Political Killings Task Team members after the adjournment. As a result, dramatic footage spread on social media showing tense scenes as defence lawyers tried and failed to reach their clients.
Police officers and PKTT members allegedly refused defence lawyers access to the accused after court adjourned. Kekana’s lawyer Riaan Gissing approached Judge Moosa directly to report the blockage. “I must say it’s the first time since the commencement of the proceedings that I have personally experienced a blatant refusal to consult with accused number one,” Gissing told the court. He said the defence had previously consulted with accused persons in court or in the cells without difficulty. Furthermore, Matlala’s lawyer Annelene van den Heever said the aggression after the adjournment was completely unnecessary. As a result, Judge Moosa ruled that lawyers must consult with accused whenever proceedings adjourn early.
The accused refused to comply with officers’ instructions. Footage captured Kekana clashing verbally and physically with a sergeant during the standoff. Officers tried to usher the accused to holding cells while defence counsel objected loudly. Furthermore, footage also captured Matlala appearing visibly angry with Van den Heever after the adjournment. South Africans commenting on the footage noted Matlala’s aggressive body language toward his own lawyer. As a result, the scenes inside the court drew as much attention on social media as the legal proceedings themselves.
The postponement triggered the chaos. On Tuesday 7 September 2026 the defence presented new evidence about police vehicle locations on the day Kekana faced arrest on 17 April 2024. Prosecutor Elizabeth le Roux said she needed 48 hours to assess the new information. She said she could no longer close the State’s case as planned. Furthermore, Van den Heever objected strongly. “There’s no reason to stand the case down for two days. The State is really delaying this case for unnecessary reasons,” she argued. As a result, the court postponed the matter to 10 September 2026.
The trial within a trial examines whether evidence from Kekana’s arrest on 17 April 2024 is admissible. Police arrested Kekana hours after the fatal shooting of Vereeniging engineer Armand Swart. The court also admitted Kekana’s 2024 bail proceedings into the trial record. Judge Moosa ruled the magistrate’s warning applied to the bail affidavit even without a specific mention. Furthermore, Kekana’s lawyer argued his client was not properly warned the affidavit could be used against him. As a result, the court rejected that argument and the bail record now forms part of the proceedings.
Matlala and four co-accused face 25 combined charges. Those include 11 counts of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, fraud and money laundering linked to three shooting incidents between August 2022 and January 2024. The alleged targets are actress Tebogo Thobejane, taxi boss Joe “Ferrari” Sibanyoni and music producer DJ Vetteys. The main trial remains paused while the trial within a trial runs its course. Furthermore, Nthabiseng Nzama appointed new legal representation after her previous team withdrew due to financial difficulties. As a result, legal challenges, new evidence and physical confrontations are all slowing the proceedings.
Also read: Cat Matlala Trial Begins at Johannesburg High Court on 25 Charges Including 11 Counts of Attempted Murder.