WATCH: Court chaos after Cat Matlala trial postponed
The Cat Matlala trial was postponed after courtroom chaos and a clash between lawyers and police.
Black News 
Chaos erupted at the Johannesburg High Court on Tuesday after the Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala trial was postponed and defence lawyers clashed with police over access to one of the accused.
The confrontation unfolded shortly after Judge Cassim Moosa postponed the trial-within-a-trial involving Matlala and four co-accused to Thursday, 10 September.
Musa Kekana’s lawyer, Advocate Riaan Gissing, returned to court and told Moosa that members of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) and uniformed officers had stopped him from consulting his client.
Gissing told the court that Kekana claimed officers had manhandled him as they took him to the cells.
The lawyer raised concerns about the impact this could have on Kekana’s right to consult his legal team and prepare his defence.
Judge steps in after courtroom chaos
Moosa told the court that he could hear the disturbance from outside.
He described the scenes as a form of “pandemonium” and ordered officials to allow the defence reasonable access to the accused.
The judge also warned against any unreasonable interference with consultations between the accused and their lawyers.
Matlala’s lawyer, Advocate Annelene van der Heever, also raised concerns about what happened after the adjournment.
The defence argued that lawyers had previously been able to consult their clients without difficulty.
Footage from the court showed tensions rising as Kekana argued with police officers while authorities moved the accused out of the courtroom.
New evidence delays Cat Matlala trial
The drama followed another development in the case earlier on Tuesday.
The defence introduced new evidence relating to the location of police vehicles on the day officers arrested Kekana.
Prosecutors asked for time to consider the material and determine whether they needed to call another witness.
The court then postponed the trial-within-a-trial until Thursday.
The proceedings form part of a dispute over evidence police obtained following Kekana’s arrest on 17 April 2024.
The main trial remains on hold while the court deals with the admissibility challenge. The South African previously reported that the dispute had stalled proceedings after the case resumed following the court recess.
Bail proceedings admitted as evidence
Earlier on Tuesday, Moosa ruled that prosecutors could use Kekana’s 2024 bail proceedings as evidence.
His defence had argued that the magistrate who handled the bail application did not adequately warn Kekana that information contained in his affidavit could later be used against him.
Moosa rejected the argument and admitted the record.
The State wants to use the bail proceedings to point to alleged inconsistencies between Kekana’s earlier statements and his current version of events.
Kekana stands trial alongside Matlala, Tsakani Matlala, Tiego Floyd Mabusela and Nthabiseng Nzama.
The five face 25 charges linked to three alleged attempted murder plots. The charges include conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, firearms offences, money laundering and fraud.
