PSIRA Reviews Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala's Private Security Company Registration

• Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala, with multiple arrests and convictions, owns CAT VIP Protection, a private security company registered with PSIRA.
• PSIRA announced a review of Matlala's company registration in October 2025, but the outcome has not yet been announced.
• Matlala remains in custody after being denied bail on charges including procurement fraud and attempted murder.
• The private security industry is regulated by PSIRA, which can review and revoke registrations.
• Criminal actors may use private security companies to access legal firearms for nefarious purposes.

The fact that Matlala owns a private security company is disturbing, given his alleged criminal involvement.

Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala, a notorious figure with multiple arrests and convictions, owns CAT VIP Protection, a private security company registered with PSIRA in 2017. Matlala's alleged criminal involvement includes a corrupt relationship with suspended Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi, which enabled him to fit police blue lights to his security vehicles. In October 2025, PSIRA announced a review of Matlala's company registration, but the outcome has not yet been announced. Meanwhile, Matlala remains in custody after being denied bail in May 2025 on charges including procurement fraud and attempted murder.

The private security industry in South Africa is regulated by PSIRA, which has the authority to review and revoke registrations. The involvement of criminal actors in this industry raises concerns about the management of firearms, as some companies may be used to access legal firearms for nefarious purposes. This is not a new phenomenon, with journalist Caryn Dolley noting in her 2019 book that private security businesses were sometimes set up to access firearms under a legitimate guise. The Political Killings Task Team has linked private security firearms to crimes it has investigated, and such firearms have also been used as instruments of intimidation and violence in the taxi industry.

The fact that Matlala owns a private security company is disturbing, given his alleged criminal involvement. This raises questions about compliance exposures related to the management of firearms by private security companies, particularly those with ties to criminal actors. Lawyers should be vigilant in monitoring developments in this case and be aware of potential implications for their clients' businesses. The review of Matlala's registration by PSIRA is a crucial step in ensuring that the private security industry operates within the law.

Lawyers should watch for potential compliance exposures related to the management of firearms by private security companies, particularly those with alleged ties to criminal actors.

Source: Original reporting via [Source]