KwaZulu-Natal Hawks boss Maj-Gen Lesetja Senona on Wednesday admitted he maintained a close relationship with attempted murder accused Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala despite knowing he was under investigation on corruption charges.
The day before, Senona had told the Madlanga commission he had gradually cut ties with Matlala soon after he knew he was under investigation.
He said he remained Matlala’s friend, unaware he was being investigated by police, and only became aware Matlala was being probed for the attempted murder of Tebogo Thobejane during a meeting with KwaZulu-Natal commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi on April 15 2025 — a month before his arrest.
The Madlanga commission is investigating allegations of corruption and infiltration into the criminal justice system. Witnesses have fingered Senona as one of the tainted bosses in earlier testimonies.
Returning to the witness box on Wednesday, Senona was questioned about WhatsApp chats between himself and Matlala on March 5 2025.
On the day, Senona sent Matlala a News24 article highlighting companies linked to Matlala that were among 200 entities flagged by slain state official Babita Deokaran in suspected multimillion-rand tender corruption at Tembisa Hospital, Gauteng.
The almost R3bn spent by the department of health on the irregular contracts remains under investigation by the Special Investigating Unit.
During cross-examination, Senona admitted to reading the article on the SIU and Hawks’ investigation into Tembisa Hospital corruption involving Matlala.
He had told the commission a day earlier that he did not know Matlala was under investigation.
“General, it is not true you did not know about these other allegations against Mr Matlala,” evidence leader advocate Adila Hassim said, adding that as Senona admitted to reading the article in March 2025 he did not tell the truth before the commission.
Senona responded, “I must admit this; now I recall. It is important that sometimes you [are] made to recall certain things, but if you recall you must assist the commission.
“That is why when you look at my affidavit, I said this thing: I became too wary [of] the relationship. We [Matlala and Senona] had serious engagement.”
Senona told the commission that after reading the article he “became wary, and I started to withdraw gradually from my relationship with him”.
Commission chair justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga and panellist advocates Sesi Baloyi and Sandile Khumalo grilled Senona about his assertion that he gradually cut ties with Matlala after March 5 2025.
This is as Senona said he accompanied Matlala to the meeting with Mkhwanazi on April 15 2025, a month after reading the article to provide “moral support” for Matlala as a “bigger” brother.
Senona also conceded he knew in that meeting Matlala wanted to ask Mkhwanazi to assist him to get purchase orders on his R360m tender with the police and “saw nothing wrong with that”.
The conversations between Matlala and Senona continued until May 13 2025, a day before Matlala was arrested.
“Do you seriously want us to believe you wanted to terminate the relationship?” Madlanga asked.
Senona struggled to answer questions about when he intended to cut ties with Matlala and how he gradually withdrew from the relationship.
Madlanga put it to him that the evidence before the commission suggests his statement about his intention to withdraw from the relationship from March 5 2025 is a lie because he did not cut ties until Matlala was arrested.
“There was an intention to terminate the relationship,” Senona maintained, adding he “took too long” to withdraw his association with Matlala as a top cop.
Senona was further quizzed about his message to Matlala on May 13 2025, that Matlala should seek legal advice after police national commissioner Fannie Masemola terminated the SAPS R360m tender with Matlala’s company, Medicare24 Tshwane District.
“Take them on,” Senona told Matlala.
Senona said his messages to Matlala were not aimed at “encouraging” him to initiate a lawsuit against SAPS but rather signalled his intention to withdraw from the relationship.
Madlanga described Senona’s reliance on Matlala’s later response when answering questions about the issue and insisting the messages were a sign of withdrawal from the relationship as “nonsensical”.
Senona on Wednesday also contradicted Matlala’s evidence regarding alleged kidnapping kingpin Esmael Nangy.
Nangy was arrested in connection with the kidnapping of KwaZulu-Natal businessman Zakariyya Desai but charges were withdrawn.
According to Matlala, Mkhwanazi wanted Nangy, who resided in the same area as Matlala, to drop an assault complaint against the police. Matlala needed Mkhwanazi’s help in securing purchase orders.
Appearing before the parliamentary ad hoc committee investigating similar charges, Matlala said he told Senona that Nangy did not agree to drop charges against the state.
Senona, at the commission, said he did not discuss the matter with Matlala.
He maintained the only thing he heard at the meeting was Mkhwanazi agreeing to assist Matlala in exchange for information about deputy national commissioner Shadrack Sibiya.
Senona faces allegations of improper use of his position and leaking confidential police information to Matlala.
He admitted he sent a police document to Matlala on the Nangy case containing personal information of police officials who probed Nangy.
Senona told the commission he sent the document “which was in the public domain” to alert Matlala that a person facing kidnapping charges resided in his estate.
While Senona contended that he sourced the document with SAPS stamps from the public domain, he could not point to the source.
Commissioners told Senona some of his answers during cross-examination were unsatisfactory, to which he replied that he could not recall “certain things”.
“I see I am being crucified,” a visibly irritated Senona said towards the end of his cross-examination on Wednesday.
He returns to the witness box on Thursday.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.