Vusumuzi “Cat” Matlala, a man widely believed to be a central figure in the alleged infiltration and capture of South Africa’s law enforcement system, has once again sparked national concern after being caught with a cellphone while in prison. Matlala, who is currently incarcerated at the high-security C-Max section of Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Facility in Pretoria, was found in possession of the device during a recent raid by correctional authorities.

The raid was led by National Commissioner of Correctional Services, Makgothi Samuel Thobakgale, and took place between Tuesday night and the early hours of Wednesday morning. The operation was part of a broader effort to crack down on illegal activity within correctional facilities, especially involving high-profile inmates.

The incident followed an earlier search on Sunday, during which Matlala was also found with a mobile phone. At that time, he was being held in a section of the prison known as “local,” which typically houses medium- to low-risk prisoners — a surprising placement for someone classified as high-risk. His presence in that section raised questions about internal prison procedures and possible security lapses.

Thobakgale, speaking to Newzroom Afrika, confirmed the discovery and explained that ongoing, unannounced searches are being conducted to root out contraband and tighten prison security. “Cat Matlala is at the C-Max correctional facility because of a classification. He is classified as high-risk,” he said. “We continue to do searches, especially these types of searches that we did last night.”