Alleged underworld figure Vusumuzi “Cat” Matlala has abandoned his bail application in a Pretoria fraud case involving allegations that falsified documents were used to secure a residential lease in the upmarket Waterkloof Heights area.

Matlala, 50, appeared in the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court, where he faces multiple charges stemming from the alleged fraudulent acquisition of a lease agreement for a property in the capital.

The case involves allegations of forgery, fraud and the unlawful possession of an identity document bearing another name and purportedly linking him to the Eswatini Royal House.

According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Matlala faces two counts of fraud, two counts of uttering, one count of forgery and a charge of contravening the Identification Act.

The charges relate to an alleged scheme in January 2025 in which Matlala and three co-accused allegedly acted together to secure a residential lease through a real estate agent.

His co-accused are his wife, Tsakani Matlala, 38, Claudette Masethe, 31, and Given Makofane, 46. All three have previously been released on bail.

The prosecution alleges that the accused acted with a common purpose in falsifying documents used to obtain the lease agreement for a property in Waterkloof Heights.

A further allegation concerns an identity document that Matlala allegedly possessed unlawfully between January 13 and 21, 2025.

The document was issued in the name of Vusumuzi Dlamini and purportedly associated the holder with the Eswatini Royal House.

Investigators allege that the document was used in connection with efforts to secure the residential lease.

The allegations form the basis of the charges before the court. They have not, however, been established as proven facts, and Matlala remains entitled to the presumption of innocence.

The latest development is Matlala’s decision to abandon his bail application. The NPA’s statement did not provide further details about the reasons for the decision.

Abandoning a bail application means an accused person is no longer pursuing that application at that stage. It does not amount to a guilty plea or a finding of guilt on the charges.

The court postponed the matter to October 29, 2026, to allow for further investigations.

The postponement means the case remains ongoing, with investigators continuing their work before the matter returns to court.

The NPA’s regional spokesperson for the Gauteng Division in Pretoria, Lumka Mahanjana, confirmed the development in a statement issued on Wednesday.

The case centres on the alleged use of falsified documentation to obtain access to a residential property, with prosecutors seeking to establish the circumstances surrounding the lease agreement and the identity document allegedly held by Matlala.

The matter is expected to return to the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court on October 29.