Evidence shows that on the day police raided Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala’s home in connection with the alleged kidnapping of Jerry Boshoga, police sergeant Fannie Nkosi was on a call with him.

Previous witnesses have testified at the Madlanga commission that when the Gauteng counterintelligence team arrived at Matlala’s home, he told them about his close ties with senior officials and that he had been told they were coming.

On Tuesday, Nkosi denied he tipped Matlala off about the raid.

He said that on about December 4 or 5 2024, a Capt Ramangwa told him that they needed to interview Matlala on the Boshoga matter.

“That is when I communicated with Cat: ‘Morena, you are wanted in our office. You need to be interviewed,’ and I said, ‘Come in you need to be interviewed’,” he said.

He added that on December 6 he contacted Matlala to let him know that there was a scheduling crisis, and Matlala told him to put the phone down as there were officers in his house.

Nkosi said he did not know that the Gauteng counterintelligence team was also investigating Boshoga’s disappearance at the same time as his office.

“Most of them are from KwaZulu-Natal and I don’t know anyone from there except [provincial police commissioner] Gen [Nhlanhla] Mkhwanazi.”

Chief evidence leader advocate Matthew Chaskalson asked Nkosi if he was aware of the allegations that on the day the police raided Matlala’s home, Boshoga had been moved to alleged kidnapper Esmael Nangy‘s home.

Nkosi confirmed that he was aware of the allegations.

The commission had previously heard from suspended KwaZulu-Natal Hawks head Maj-Gen Lesetja Senona that Nangy lived close to Matlala’s home.

At the same time, Nkosi also sent a message to controversial businessperson and taxi boss Joe Sibanyoni stating that the special ops members had arrived at the address [the commission suggests he was making reference to the operation at Matlala’s home] and he was waiting for feedback.

However, he said the message was not related to that operation, as he did not know about it.

It has been alleged that Matlala and Sibanyoni did not get along and that Matlala was responsible for a hit on Sibanyoni’s home.

Nkosi is alleged to be the middleman between deputy national commissioner for crime detection Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya and alleged criminals.

Boshoga has been missing since November 18 2024 after attending a business meeting.

Sowetan