Major General Lesetja Senona, head of the Hawks in KwaZulu-Natal, testified at the Madlanga Commission about a 2025 meeting involving organised crime suspect Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala and police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. The session also addressed why Matlala shared an internal SAPS video with Senona. Questions arose over Senona's relationship with Matlala and potential conflicts of interest.
On 27 January 2026, Major General Lesetja Senona appeared before the Madlanga Commission, where he detailed a meeting on 15 April 2025 with Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, an accused in organised crime and attempted murder cases, and KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. Senona denied arranging the meeting, attributing it to former police minister Bheki Cele, who did not attend. He said he only accompanied Matlala, who felt uncomfortable meeting Mkhwanazi alone.
The gathering aimed to address why the South African Police Service (SAPS) had not issued purchase orders for Matlala’s company, Medicare 24 Tshwane District, which had secured a R360-million contract for health screening services—later cancelled due to irregularities. At the time, the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT), which Mkhwanazi defended, was probing Matlala, leading to his arrest. The PKTT's disbandment in December 2024 prompted Mkhwanazi's July 2025 public claims of organised crime infiltration in policing and politics.
During the meeting, Mkhwanazi reportedly offered to assist with orders and pause an investigation into Matlala’s alleged attempted murder of his ex-girlfriend, Tebogo Thobejane, in return for details on suspended deputy national commissioner Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya. WhatsApp messages from Mkhwanazi to Senona on 26 November 2025, read at the commission, outlined this exchange. Mkhwanazi wrote: “You made arrangements for me to meet this guy, ‘Cat’, because he is your friend and brother and he needed my help.” He also noted Matlala’s allegations against Sibiya, including a Sandton house address, R2-million payments for plots, and a townhouse.
Senona did not respond to the messages, forwarding them to his legal counsel. He maintained he had not organised the meeting and disputed claims of growing up with Matlala, whom he met in 2019 at a traditional wedding and viewed as a younger brother. Their social relationship included WhatsApp exchanges, but Senona said his help was limited to introductions for contracts.
Commissioner Sesi Baloyi challenged Senona on not correcting Mkhwanazi’s assertions earlier, calling it a “human error.” Evidence leader Advocate Adila Hassim questioned a WhatsApp video Matlala sent Senona of an internal SAPS meeting on non-performing service providers. Hassim asked why Matlala felt safe sharing it without fear of reporting. Senona replied he did not know the reason and had not fabricated its contents.
Senona also admitted forwarding a leaked letter on the PKTT disbandment to Matlala on 1 January 2025, claiming it was already public on social media. The commission found this sharing unusual given Matlala’s investigations.
