ALLEGED underworld kingpin Vusimusi "Cat" Matlala and his co-accused will have to wait a little longer before their legal battle continues.
The Joburg High Court postponed the matter to Wednesday, 17 June 2026.
The postponement comes after several issues were raised during proceedings on Monday, 15 June, including changes to Matlala's legal team and outstanding matters relating to evidence disclosure.
Matlala is facing serious charges alongside his co-accused.
The businessman has been at the centre of several high-profile criminal investigations and has frequently made headlines due to his alleged links to organised crime.
During Monday's proceedings, the court heard that accused number one had replaced his previous legal representative and requested time for his new legal team to familiarise themselves with the matter.
The court granted the request, resulting in the matter being rolled over to Wednesday.
Another issue before the court involved documents that the defence had requested from the state.
While both parties confirmed that the necessary information had now been exchanged, defence lawyers indicated they still needed time to study the documents before proceeding.
Proceedings also took an unexpected turn when Matlala's legal representatives informed the court that investigators had attempted to obtain his fingerprints while he was in custody.
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According to the defence, Matlala was unhappy as he had not been informed why the fingerprints were required.
However, prosecutors argued that it's standard procedure for investigators to obtain fingerprints if they believe an accused may be linked to another matter under investigation.
The state maintained that investigators were acting within the law.
The court ultimately ruled that Matlala must co-operate and submit his fingerprints to investigators.
Unconfirmed reports suggest the fingerprints could be linked to ongoing investigations surrounding the murder of businessman Armand Swart, a separate matter currently before the courts.
Despite the latest delay, all legal teams agreed that the main trial is still expected to proceed on 20 July 2026.
