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 for alleged corruption.
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 had been investigated by police and only became aware Matlala had been 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 in 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 him and Matlala on March 5 2025.
On that day, Senona sent Matlala a News24 article highlighting companies linked to Matlala which were among 200 entities flagged by slain state official Babita Deokaran in a suspected multimillion-rand tender corruption at Tembisa Hospital in 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 he had read the article on the investigation by the SIU and Hawks into 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 Senona admitting to reading the article in March 2025 meant he did not tell the commission the truth.
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 after reading the article he “became wary and I started to withdraw gradually my relationship with him, commissioners.”
Commission chair justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, panel advocates Sesi Baloyi and Sandile Khumalo grilled Senona about his assertion he gradually cut ties with Matlala after March 5 2025.
This 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 South African Police Service, 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 had gradually withdrawn from the relationship.
Madlanga put it to him that the evidence before the commission suggested his statement about his intention to withdraw from the relationship from March 5 2025 was 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 to 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 interpretation of his messages to Matlala were not “encouraging” him to initiate a lawsuit against SAPS but rather signalled his intention to withdraw from the relationship.
Senona on Wednesday also contradicted Matlala’s evidence relating to alleged kidnapping kingpin Esmael Nangy.
Nangy was arrested in connection with the kidnapping of KwaZulu-Natal businessman Zakariyya Desai, but charges were later withdrawn.
According to Matlala, Mkhwanazi allegedly wanted Nangy, who resided in the same area as Matlala, to drop an assault complaint against cops in exchange for assistance to get purchase orders.
Appearing before the parliamentary ad hoc committee investigating similar charges, Matlala said he had told Senona that Nangy had not agreed to drop charges against the state.
Senona, at the commission, said he never discussed the matter with Matlala.
He maintained the only thing he heard at the meeting was Mkhwanazi allegedly 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 he had sourced the document with SAPS stamps from the public domain, he could not point out the source.
The commissioners told Senona some of his answers during cross examination were not satisfactory, to which he answered 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.
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