KZN Hawks head Senona appears before Madlanga Commission
Orrin Singh
26 November 2025 | 8:22Lesetja Senona has been accused of having close ties to criminally accused tender tycoon Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala.
- KwaZulu-Natal (KZN)
- Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks)
- Madlanga Commission of Inquiry
- Police Crisis
- Vusimuzi Matlala
KwaZulu-Natal Hawks head Lesetja Senona is appearing before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry on Wednesday morning.
Senona has been accused of having close ties to criminally accused tender tycoon Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala.
WhatsApp messages between Senona and Matlala were previously presented as evidence before the commission that's investigating alleged police corruption.
Matlala allegedly confessed to investigators that Senona was his brother-in-law and had assisted him in securing his R360 million South African Police Service (SAPS) tender.
But while no proof has been presented to the Madlanga Commission to indicate the pair are related, previous evidence showed they communicated on several occasions.
Evidence showed Matlala sent confidential documents, including a background check on the Senzo Mchunu Foundation and details on several identity numbers allegedly linked to President Cyril Ramaphosa, to Senona.
The pair also discussed business dealings related to Senona’s son, Thato.
Thato Senona was allegedly involved in a potential property deal with Matlala.
Testimony by Witness X indicated that Matlala appeared to be facilitating or potentially buying a property for Thato Senona.
The messages showed Matlala requesting Thato's Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FICA) documents from his father for an offer to purchase.
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