By Johnathan Paoli
KZN Hawks boss Major-General Lesetja Senona has claimed that he saw nothing improper in accompanying murder accused and tenderpreneur Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala to a private meeting with Provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, insisting that his presence was informal and motivated by a sense of personal responsibility rather than official duty.
Resuming his testimony after lunch on Tuesday, Senona rejected suggestions that the meeting itself was irregular, repeatedly stressing that he neither arranged it nor participated in it in any formal capacity.
“I did not see it as a problem with accompanying a younger brother (Matlala) to a meeting that I was not a full participant in,” he maintained.
Addressing concerns raised by the commission about the optics of the meeting, Senona said he had merely accompanied Matlala and denied acting as an intermediary or facilitator.
He further rejected claims that he had told Mkhwanazi that he and Matlala grew up together, describing Matlala as a “younger brother”.
Senona turned to a series of WhatsApp messages exchanged with Mkhwanazi following the meeting, which he described as threatening and intimidating.
“Consequent to the meeting of 26 November 2025, I received a series of threatening WhatsApp messages from Lt-Gen Mkhwanazi,” Senona said.
Reading the messages into the record, Senona detailed how Mkhwanazi accused him of arranging the meeting with Matlala and alleged that Matlala had provided information implicating senior SAPS official Shadrick Sibiya in corruption, including claims about money collections at a Sandton address and a R2-million contribution toward a property purchase.
In the same message, Mkhwanazi warned that Matlala had lied under oath before Parliament’s ad hoc committee and that exposing the information he had shared would place his life at risk.
The reading of the messages sparked considerations over the redaction of one name, with Hassim arguing that it could be relevant to the commission’s work.
Senona’s counsel, advocate Palesa Mafisa, warned that naming the individual could endanger lives; and following an adjournment, an agreement was reached allowing one of the names to be disclosed.
Hassim questioned Senona on why he regarded the messages as intimidation when the articulated danger appeared to be directed at Matlala.
Senona responded that the threat was broader.
“This kind of message amounted to a threat against anyone who spoke about the meeting between General Mkhwanazi and Mr Matlala,” he said.
He claimed that Mkhwanazi failed to disclose the meeting during his own testimony to the commission.
Senona denied withholding information about allegations Matlala had allegedly made against Sibiya, saying he did not recall hearing such accusations during the meeting.
He told the commission he was moving around the house and drinking alcohol at the time.
“On a serious note, I am not withholding any information,” Senona said.
The hearing ended with renewed scrutiny over a video sent to Senona by Matlala in January 2025.
The clip, later played before the commission, showed an internal SAPS meeting led by Deputy National Commissioner for Support Services Lieutenant-General Lineo Nkhuoa discussing the initiation of non-performance processes against a service provider.
Senona said he did not understand the video and never responded to Matlala.
“I did not know why Mr Matlala sent it to me,” he said.
However, when questioned, he admitted that he failed to report the apparent leak to SAPS.
Asked whether he recognised the seriousness of a service provider accessing confidential SAPS information, Senona conceded that it was a “serious matter”, adding that the implications only became clear to him later on.
The commission adjourned for the day, with Senona expected to resume his testimony on Wednesday morning.
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