A state witness testified in the Johannesburg High Court that the 2024 arrest of alleged gunman Musa Kekana was lawful and justified [1].
The testimony comes during a trial-within-a-trial regarding the Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala attempted-murder case. The legality of the arrest is a central point of contention as the court determines if the evidence obtained during the detention is admissible.
Captain Phimi Sekgobela, also referred to in some reports as Pimi Alfred, provided the testimony [1, 2]. Sekgobela said the arrest of Kekana was based on evidence linking the man to the 2024 murder of Armand Swart, an engineer from Vereeniging [1, 3].
Kekana is one of five people facing trial in this matter [1]. He is appearing alongside four co-accused individuals: Vusimuzi Matlala, Tiego Mabusela, Tsakani Matlala, and Nthabiseng Nzama [1].
During the proceedings, the judge issued a specific order for Nthabiseng Nzama to attend the entirety of the trial [3]. The court is currently weighing the validity of the documents and the circumstances surrounding the initial apprehension of the suspect.
Sekgobela said the connection to the Swart murder provided the necessary legal grounds to take Kekana into custody [1, 3]. The defense has previously questioned the legitimacy of the arrest and the documentation used by the state to justify the detention [2].
“The arrest of Kekana was based on evidence linking the man to the 2024 murder of Armand Swart.”
The outcome of this trial-within-a-trial is critical because if the court finds the arrest of Musa Kekana was unlawful, it could lead to the exclusion of key evidence. This would potentially weaken the state's case against the five accused in the attempted-murder trial of Vusimuzi Matlala.
