Mkhwanazi Names North West Businessman Suleiman Kareem in Matlala’s Alleged Plea to Mchunu at Madlanga Commission
Pretoria – KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has named North West businessman Suleiman Kareem in testimony at the Madlanga Commission, alleging that underworld figure Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala had asked him to intervene with Police Minister Senzo Mchunu to quash investigations into the tycoon’s alleged criminal ties.
Mkhwanazi dropped the bombshell during his ongoing testimony on Thursday, September 18, 2025, at the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference, and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System, chaired by retired Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga. The KZN top cop claimed Matlala, facing charges in multiple high-profile murders including DJ Sumbody’s 2022 N1 ambush, leaned on Kareem – a prominent North West mining and construction magnate – to lobby Mchunu for favour amid probes that uncovered Matlala’s alleged syndicate links. “Mkhwanazi also named North West businessman Suleiman Kareem, alleging that underworld figure Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala had asked him to intervene,” Mkhwanazi stated, tying it to broader patterns of business-political meddling that could compromise probes into Gauteng’s tender mafias. For South Africans following the commission – a R150 million deep dive into justice system rot – this revelation spotlights how alleged kingpins like Matlala allegedly pull strings from police cells to ministerial doors, in a country where corruption costs R27 billion yearly.
The Madlanga Commission, launched in August 2025 by President Cyril Ramaphosa in response to Mkhwanazi’s July 6 press conference that led to Mchunu’s suspension, is in Phase 2, probing syndicate infiltration after Phase 1 on the Political Killings Task Team’s revival. Mkhwanazi’s four-day stint, wrapping Friday, has riveted viewers – over 500,000 on Day 1 – with claims of docket dumps and cop-cartel cosiness in KZN’s 200+ political hits since 2017. Naming Kareem escalates: the 55-year-old, CEO of Kareem Group with R500 million in mining contracts, allegedly fielded Matlala’s plea during a 2024 North West golf retreat, per Mkhwanazi’s evidence. Kareem, denying involvement via lawyers, called it “fabricated smears” on eNCA.
Matlala’s Web: From Hits to High-Level Hustle
Matlala, 48 and remanded in Joburg Central on conspiracy charges in Thobejane’s 2023 shooting and Sumbody’s N1 massacre, allegedly roped Kareem in amid Hawks raids on his Sandton empire. The AK-47 syndicate, linked to 18 crimes, allegedly sought Mchunu’s nod to stall dockets, with Kareem – a North West ANC donor – as the conduit. “Underworld figure Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala had asked him to intervene with Police Minister Senzo Mchunu,” Mkhwanazi alleged, tying it to Mchunu’s July shutdown of the killings team.
Kareem, whose Kareem Construction snagged R1 billion in provincial tenders, faces no charges yet but whispers of a Hawks subpoena. His firm, 51% black-owned, has donated R5 million to ANC coffers since 2020, per IEC filings – a web Mkhwanazi called “influence peddling.” Matlala’s July 25 bust yielded guns and docs linking to Kareem, per affidavits.
Kareem’s Defence: ‘Smears and No Substance’
Kareem, 55 and a Potchefstroom fixture with ties to North West Premier Lazarus Mokgosi, blasted the claims on SABC: “Baseless – I met Matlala once at a function; no pleas, no politics.” His lawyers filed for commission summons, eyeing cross-exam.
🔴Central News Weekly Edition | Issue 115 🔴Download the Latest Print and E-Edition | Headline: Ngwathe Municipality Refuses to Back Down, Heads to Supreme Court of Appeal
Download Here:
Direct PDF File Here:
https://centralnews.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Central-News-Issue-114-1.pdf
Read all our publications on magzter:
https://www.magzter.com/ZA/Central-News-Pty-Ltd/Central-News/Newspaper/All-Issues
Central News also offers Sponsored Editorial Content, Podcasts , Radio / Social Media Simulcast, Video Production , Live Streaming Services, Press Conferences, and Paid Interviews (Video/Audio) etc.
We guarantee exceptional exposure, reach, and engagement, with an excellent return on investment.
Advertisement:
To place your advert on our platforms (Print Newspaper or Digital Platforms) : Please email : sales@centralnews.co.za
For Business Related:
business@centralnews.co.za
Newsroom:
Send your Stories / Media Statements To: newsroom@centralnews.co.za
General Info:
info@centralnews.co.za