BY MBONGENI NDLELA
MBABANE- Vusumuzi “Cat” Matlala has firmly distanced himself from claims that he holds or has ever used an Eswatini national identity document, as scrutiny around the cross-border Home Affairs scandal intensifies.
Appearing before South Africa’s Ad Hoc Committee tasked with probing corruption claims at the SAPS, Matlala calmly but clearly dismissed allegations that tie him to an Eswatini ID issued under the surname Dlamini.
Matlala told MPs he has never used that surname at any point in his life, stressing that he is a Matlala by identity and upbringing. He explained that the only Dlamini connection in his family traces back to his maternal grandmother, a link he says holds no bearing on his citizenship status, which he maintains has always been South African.
The Eswatini end of the saga has also been heating up. Authorities in the Kingdom have arrested a Home Affairs official accused of irregularly issuing the controversial ID that Matlala is alleged to have used. The probe forms part of a broader government clean-up targeting identity fraud and the unlawful creation of documents that risk undermining national security.
As investigations continue on both sides of the border, Eswatini authorities have reaffirmed their commitment to rooting out corruption within the identity management system. Government sources have emphasized that the integrity of national documents remains a top priority, and any official found to have facilitated illegal issuance will face the full consequences of the law.
Matlala’s emphatic denial adds a new dimension to the unfolding scandal, with parliamentary and law-enforcement bodies now working to determine how the questionable ID was produced, and for whom.
