“They Tried to Kill Me”: Tebogo Thobejane Fights to Keep Her Assassination Plotters Behind Bars
South African influencer Tebogo Thobejane has broken her silence following the recent court appearance of four individuals accused of conspiring to have her killed.
In a strongly worded public statement, Thobejane demanded that the assassination masterminds, tenderpreneur Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala and his wife Tsakani Matlala, remain in custody and be denied bail.
“I never thought I would have to live in fear after surviving an attempt on my life. But here I am, shaking because the very people who plotted to kill me may be granted bail on Tuesday,” she wrote.
“They Tried to Kill Me”: Thobejane Details Ordeal
Thobejane said the couple not only orchestrated a hit on her life but also led a campaign of online harassment.
“A husband and wife, both involved in a conspiracy to have me murdered, are among the accused. This woman – someone I once knew – used her power and her money to orchestrate bullying campaigns online, to break me down emotionally, and ultimately silence me,” said the former Muvhango star.
She revealed that she was targeted both digitally and physically.
“They paid girls to harass me online. They tried to kill me. And now they may walk free.”
In October 2023, Thobejane and a friend were ambushed on the N1 near Sandton. Their vehicle was riddled with bullets. Thobejane was shot in the foot, while her friend suffered a life-altering spinal injury and remains hospitalised.
Court Hears Details of Alleged Hit
Matlala (49), Tsakani Matlala, Musa Kekana (35), and Tiego Floyd Mabusela (47) appeared in the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
They face charges of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Matlala and his wife are also charged with fraud and attempting to defeat the ends of justice.
The case has been postponed to June 3 for the Matlalas’ formal bail application. Magistrate Renier Boshoff also ordered Matlala to surrender his passport. Kekana and Mabusela, who did not apply for bail, will return to court on July 11 as their case is being transferred to the Gauteng High Court.
All four accused remain in custody.
Links to High-Profile Murder Case
Matlala is no stranger to controversy. Last month, Sunday World reported that he is under investigation for allegedly orchestrating the assassination of corruption whistleblower Babita Deokaran.
He is also being probed for tender corruption linked to the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa).
Sources close to Thobejane’s case claim that police discovered incriminating WhatsApp messages on Matlala’s phone, including instructions to assassins to “shoot her in the face so that her family does not recognise her.”
“Please Help Me Raise Awareness”
In her plea, Thobejane urged the public to stand with her.
“If these people get bail, I fear not only for my life but for others. Because I am not their only victim. I’m pleading for every woman who has been bullied, silenced, and hunted for simply trying to live,” she said.
She concluded her statement with hashtags: #JusticeForTebogo #NoBail #GBVmustFall