KZN Hawks head confirms 'social' relationship with alleged underworld kingpin

KWAZULU-NATAl Hawks head Major-General Lesetja Senona has distanced himself from his son  Thato's business dealings with alleged underworld kingpin and attempted murder accused Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala.

Testifying before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry on Tuesday, Senona dismissed evidence shared by Witness X and Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo, head of crime intelligence, implicating him in sharing sensitive police information with Matlala.

In October, witness X had told the commission about the beneficial relationship Senona allegedly has with Matlala, Senona’s interest in protecting Matlala, and the sharing of institutional and confidential information.

Witness X accused Senona of facilitating invoice payments for Matlala’s Medicare24 at the SAPS and encouraged him to challenge the police regarding the cancellation of the multimillion rand contract.

However Senona dismissed the allegations against him, labelling the claims baseless and frivolous. 

He also refuted allegations that he facilitated a property deal between Matlala and Thato, stating that his relationship with Matlala was purely social.

Regarding the Medicare 24 contract, he said: “I have no knowledge of the broader allegations of criminality surrounding the Medicare 24 tender. My knowledge is limited to the information Mr Matlala has shared with me and that which I have read in the media. I am aware that Medicare 24 was founded by Mr Matlala.”

He told the commission that he was informed by Matlala that his company had stopped receiving purchase orders after it won a medical services contract with SAPS Pretoria College. 

He said high-value tenders, like the one Matlala's company bid on, are handled by the SAPS national office's supply management division, under the divisional commissioner of supply chain. 

Senona denied lacking knowledge of officials involved in the contract or committee members who participated in the tender process.

“I, therefore, never received a kickback of any kind directly or indirectly from Mr Matlala for his securing of the tender.” 

Senona said he accompanied Matlala to a meeting with KZN police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi on April 15, 2025, at Mkhwanazi's homestead.

The meeting, organised by former Police minister Bheki Cele, was described by Senona as a “morale support” meeting. He said Cele was not present at the meeting.

He testified that the meeting started with casual conversation, before Matlala and Mkhwanazi shifted focus to discussing payment issues.

“I am not privy to all that was discussed as I was moving between the living room and the kitchen,” he said.

He claimed that Mkhwanazi agreed to assist Matlala with purchase orders and offered to halt an investigation against Matlala related to the attempted murder case of his ex-girlfriend, Tebogo Thobejane, in exchange for information about Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya. 

Senona said he met Matlala at his traditional wedding in Mamelodi, Pretoria, around 2018-2019. He was introduced as a businessman, and they exchanged numbers. 

He described their interaction as casual, and that he liked Matlala. He revealed that his wife and Matlala share the same surname, but he initially declined to comment on whether they were related.

He later clarified after speaking with his wife that he and Matlala are not related, adding that he did not want family drama, mentioning that Matlala had dated a relative of his wife.

He described his relationship with Matlala as brotherly or friendly, saying they would regularly chat and meet up when he was in Durban.

He said he only learned about his son Thato's business dealings with Matlala when Matlala told him Thato had approached him with a property venture proposal.

The business venture between Thato Senona and Matlala didn't materialise, despite initial progress in 2025, with plans to acquire a Pretoria property, according to Senona.

On allegations that he leaked sensitive information to Matlala, he said: “I will never take information that is in the custody of the police and share it with any other person. I will not do that. It is not correct to do that and I will never do that. When I took office, I signed an oath. I will never do that.”

Cape Times