Cop denies assault after accused ‘coughed blood’ during arrest in Cat Matlala trial

A police officer told the Gauteng High Court that an accused man began coughing up blood during his arrest and was given a towel while police arranged medical assistance, denying claims the suspect had been assaulted.

Officer’s testimony at trial-within-a-trial

Captain Phimi Alfred Sekgobela, a tactical response team officer and the state’s third witness, returned to the stand on 28 July 2026 in a trial-within-a-trial linked to the attempted murder case against alleged mastermind Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala.

The special hearing is determining whether contested evidence related to the arrest of Musa Kekana can be admitted in the main trial. Sekgobela detailed how investigators had traced a stolen white Hyundai i20 to Kekana’s residence in Kew and how the vehicle was linked to the broader investigation.

Health scare during arrest

Sekgobela said that after officers went to Kekana’s nearby residence and found him handcuffed, Kekana opened the gate with a remote control and then “started coughing and I asked him if there was any medication that he was taking.”

The witness told the court that Kekana began coughing up blood, staining his “mustard-coloured” top. Sekgobela said he provided a towel from inside the house and that he had told Kekana, “I explained to him that I was calling an ambulance to come and attend to him. I gave him the towel so that he does not smear or stain blood on his clothing.”

Emergency medical services personnel arrived about 30 minutes later, treated Kekana and transported him to hospital. Sekgobela quoted the paramedics as saying, “[The paramedics] said they needed him to be checked by the doctor, so they wanted to get him admitted to the hospital even though he did not seem seriously ill.”

Denial of assault and forensic testing

Sekgobela denied that Kekana had been assaulted at any point during the arrest. He also said he later requested the accused’s jersey for forensic testing to check for gunshot residue.

The officer told the court that Kekana agreed and “also asked me, because he was feeling cold, to get him another jacket to warm.” Sekgobela said Kekana picked out a black top from inside the house while in the presence of police officers before heading back to the ambulance.

Context in the main trial

The hearing sits against a backdrop in which Kekana is accused in connection with a stolen Hyundai i20 that was linked to the fatal shooting of Vereeniging engineer Armand Swart on 17 April 2024. Sekgobela described how investigators had linked the vehicle to Kekana’s property and how items were recovered during a search conducted, he said, with Kekana’s consent.

The trial-within-a-trial will determine whether the contested evidence about Kekana’s arrest and related items can be used in the main case, in which Kekana faces charges alongside Matlala and four others relating to a series of attempted murder incidents.