Witness F has alleged the office of deputy police minister Cassel Mathale pressured police to execute a warrant of arrest against celebrity basher Musa Khawula for insulting ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula.
The witness was asked at the Madlanga commission of inquiry why he had sent alleged cartel member Vusi “Cat” Matlala a warrant of arrest penned against Musa Khawula a few days after Khawula exposed Matlala on Twitter.
Witness F responded: “I received a call from [suspended deputy police commissioner Lt-Gen Shadrack] Sibiya telling me the matter was of importance and there was pressure from the deputy minister’s office.”
He said he sent the warrant to Matlala so he could help police track Khawula.
Matlala responded with “Asbonge” [Thank you] in the text.
Madlanga commission chief evidence leader, Adv Matthew Chaskalson, on Wednesday said Gauteng head of organised crime Maj-Gen Richard Shibiri warned gossip blogger, Musa Khawula, not to write about alleged criminal cartel member Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala because he is a “good guy”… pic.twitter.com/EF9MVOyy2s
— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) February 4, 2026
When advocate Matthew Chaskalson SC, chief evidence leader for the commission, asked who was the deputy minister pressurising them to make the arrest, the witness responded: “Cassel Mathale.”
The Madlanga commission heard that after Gauteng head of organised crime, Maj-Gen Richard Shibiri, shared celebrity blogger, Musa Khawula's posts about alleged criminal cartel member Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala with Witness F, a warrant of arrest for Khawula subsequently emerged, with… pic.twitter.com/IsWWWOHea1
— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) February 4, 2026
The charge on the warrant was for crimen injuria and the complainants were Mbalula and businessman Ze Nxumalo.
In October 2024, Khawula made defamatory claims about Nxumalo, stating “Dr Tamaryn Green-Nxumalo is with child while her husband Ze Nxumalo is cheating on her”. Nxumalo sent a letter demanding he retract the statement or face a charge of crimen injuria.
In July of the same year Khawula was jailed for 90 days for contempt of court after he refused to comply with a defamation verdict obtained by Mbalula’s wife Nozuko, which barred Khawula from posting corruption allegations about her on X.
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