WhatsApp chats, voice notes and video clips presented before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry on Monday revealed what appeared to be drug dealing between Medicare24 Holdings chief executive Michael van Wyk, attempted murder-accused tenderpreneur Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala, and a third party whose name is yet to be revealed, reports IOL.
Matlala’s Tshwane Medicare24, which is embroiled in a controversial multi-million rand SAPS contract, is a franchise or subsidiary of Van Wyk’s Medicare24 Holdings.
Medicare24 remains under the spotlight over its involvement in the cancelled R360m SAPS health risk management tender in Tshwane, which has become a key focus of investigators and already led to the arrests of several senior police officers.
Van Wyk was meant to testify before the Commission on Monday but his attorney, Sandy du Plessis, requested a postponement, saying her client suffered panic attacks and was admitted to hospital on Sunday.
The commission approved the postponement, with the commission’s chief evidence leader, Advocate Matthew Chaskalson SC, suggesting he be allowed to lead the evidence, on which Van Wyk would be cross-questioned.
The commission agreed, and Du Plessis sat in and listened to the proceedings on behalf of her client, in which evidence leaders submitted evidence regarding Matlala and Van Wyk’s involvement in cocaine dealing.
The chats and call exchanges presented before the commission revealed the urgency with which the negotiations for the pricing of the cocaine were handled between Matlala, Van Wyk, and a third party whose name is yet to be revealed.
A video showed five 1kg bricks of cocaine being weighed out: Matlala received the video on 6 April 2025, at 10h25, from a third party via WhatsApp, and forwarded it to Van Wyk.
At 10h26, Matlala responded to the third party asking for a good price, and at 10h31, a voice note from Van Wyk to Matlala said: “We’ll go in at 250.”
At 10h34, Matlala sent a screenshot to the third party of his (Matlala’s) WhatsApps with someone who is saved on the phone as Bishop.
Then Bishop sent Matlala a screenshot of a chat with others (a Thando, Mario, and others), and forwarded a message saying “It’s all over now, bra. The price is very down. They don’t want our prices.”
At 10h28, Matlala had a voice call with Bishop and then forwarded a voice note to the third party – from Van Wyk, who said, “We’ll go in at 250.”
A flurry of exchanges and at 10h48, Van Wyk forwarded to Matlala “…might be ready to take tomorrow afternoon…Wednesday, we can take two again.”
Van Wyk, in an affidavit to the commission, denied ever receiving the video of cocaine being weighed; however, it has since been established that he received the video.
The third party deleted the video for all WhatsApp users without realising Matlala had already forwarded the video to Van Wyk.
One of the messages exchanged reads, “Are you winning?” To which there is a response, “I am waiting for him to come back, but he said R350k. It’s too much.”
The testimony continues, and Van Wyk is expected to respond to questions.
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Police boss suspended over controversial health tender
R360m SAPS health contract to be re-advertised