By Johnathan Paoli
Acting Deputy National Police Commissioner for Detective and Forensic Services, Lieutenant General Hilda Senthumule, came under fire from Parliament over her relationship with controversial businessman Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala, with MPs pressing her on why she approached him for sponsorship while claiming she was unaware of his alleged criminal links.
Appearing before the ad-hoc committee on Tuesday afternoon, MPs questioned her judgment, due diligence and professional instincts, arguing that her association with Matlala risked damaging the credibility of the SAPS.
“It is actually regrettable. As much as I can say it was innocent. It doesn’t look good and it’s something I will regret for the rest of my life. It also exposes us for letting our guard down, relying specifically on supply chains to secure sponsorship for us,” Senthumule said.
The grilling unfolded during a tense parliamentary session where MPs repeatedly returned to the issue of Senthumule’s decision to seek donations from Matlala, who has been linked to serious criminal allegations.
Members argued that a senior intelligence officer of her standing should have exercised heightened caution before engaging a figure widely reported to be under criminal scrutiny.
EFF Commander-in-Chief Julius Malema acknowledged Senthumule’s career achievements but warned that senior leaders must be vigilant about their associations.
“As a woman who has risen through the ranks to become a Lieutenant General, you carry the hopes of many who look up to your leadership. However, at such a high level of responsibility, leaders must be extremely careful about the company they keep. Association with questionable individuals can easily be used to destroy the reputation of someone who has worked tirelessly to build a career of integrity and discipline,” Malema said.
He directly challenged Senthumule’s assertion that she barely knew Matlala.
“For someone who is a highly decorated intelligence officer trained to be cautious of their environment, how is it possible that you could not sense the calibre of a person like Cat Matlala, so much so that you approached him for a follow-up asking for donations? Matlala has many bodyguards, some of whom are white. Why was it that you could not tell there was something unusual about this person?” he asked.
Malema added that Matlala’s presence was difficult to miss, admitting that he has attended events where Matlala was present, but stayed clear of the controversial businessman.
He also questioned Senthumule’s recollection of their interaction.
“For someone who claims not to know Cat Matlala, what was so special about him that you would remember him from a party months ago? So much so that you would even remember what he was wearing. What was the special conversation that made you remember him?” he asked.
DA MP Dianne Kohler-Barnard questioned Senthumule on why proper background checks were not conducted.
“Don’t you look into someone before you ask for donations from them? How many times must a person be arrested before the SAPS distances themselves from him or her? And where was your due diligence in this instance? Even the smallest entity does due diligence so that they don’t find themselves in the headlines as being in the thrall of criminals. And here you were, a highly experienced police officer… and you did not bother to check,” Kohler-Barnard said.
Responding, Senthumule said time pressures and internal processes influenced her decision.
“Our over-reliance on supply chain, I think we burden supply chain. At the moment, and as I said, it was a hasty request, and I think because of the time, I didn’t actually see anything wrong. I didn’t read anything wrong. I didn’t hear anything wrong,” she said.
“There were no issues that came to my attention about Mr Matlala. So, if there was a lapse, probably in judgment for me, I would take that. But I think supply chain, for me, at the time, seemed sufficient to say they would then vet, if they okayed me, the person is fine or the company is fine.”
Fellow DA MP Damian Klopper questioned whether internal divisions and improper influence had infiltrated SAPS leadership.
“I just want to hear, are there factions or are there no factions?” Klopper asked.
“I have not observed any factions in the police,” Senthumule replied.
Pressed further, she added that she observed people in conflict, which would “spill over to other people”, but was unsure whether she could define that as “factionalism”.
On potential outside influence, she said she did believe that there is a possibility of infiltration, but would require further investigation.
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