Courts & Legal
What Senona told the commission about Matlala and senior SAPS officials
Inside the testimony that rocked the Matlala case
For a country long familiar with corruption headlines, the testimony delivered this week at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry still managed to land with a thud. What unfolded in a Pretoria hearing room was not just another allegation but a tangled story of senior police officials, WhatsApp messages, private meetings, and claims that reach right into the upper ranks of the SAPS.
At the centre of it all is suspected crime kingpin Vusimuzi Cat Matlala and what he allegedly told KwaZulu-Natal SAPS Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi during a meeting at a Durban homestead.
A meeting that changed everything
Major-General Lesetja Senona, head of the Hawks in KwaZulu-Natal, told the commission that Matlala shared explosive information during that April 2025 meeting. According to Senona, Matlala claimed that suspended Deputy National Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya collected money at a Sandton house using a State vehicle.
Even more striking was Matlala’s alleged claim that he paid R2 million towards the purchase of a plot for Sibiya. These claims were later captured in a WhatsApp message that Mkhwanazi allegedly sent to Senona months after the meeting.
The message has since become a key piece of evidence. It sets out not only the allegations but also the circumstances under which the meeting happened, including Matlala’s request for help with a cancelled R360 million SAPS medical services contract involving his company, Medicare24.
Conflicting versions and rising tension
One of the most uncomfortable moments of Senona’s testimony came when the commission highlighted contradictions around who arranged the meeting. Senona maintained that the meeting was set up by former police minister Bheki Cele. However, Mkhwanazi’s later WhatsApp message suggested that Senona himself had made the arrangements.
This contradiction has raised eyebrows, both inside the commission and among observers following the case closely.
Senona also described the tone of Mkhwanazi’s message as unsettling. The commissioner allegedly warned that he would play a recording of the meeting before the committee if needed, saying he had proof of what was discussed. Senona told the commission that the message left him feeling rattled and intimidated, even if no direct threat was made.
In a country where whistleblowers often fear retaliation, that detail has not gone unnoticed.
Alleged deals and denied kickbacks
Perhaps the most damaging allegation is that Mkhwanazi agreed to help Matlala with purchase orders and even offered to halt an investigation linked to the attempted murder of Matlala’s former partner, Tebogo Thobejane. Senona told the commission he was not present for all of this discussion, saying he moved between rooms and was drinking whisky during the meeting.
Senona strongly rejected claims that he helped Matlala secure the lucrative SAPS contract or received any form of kickback. He explained that high-value tenders are handled at the national level within SAPS and said his knowledge of Medicare24 was limited to what Matlala told him and what he had read in the media.
“I never received a kickback of any kind,” Senona said, adding that allegations suggesting otherwise were baseless.
Family ties and personal relationships
The commission also heard about alleged business dealings between Matlala and Senona’s son, Thato. Senona denied facilitating any property deal, stating that he only became aware of the proposed venture when Matlala mentioned it to him. The deal, which involved a possible Pretoria property, never went ahead.
Senona described his relationship with Matlala as social rather than professional. He said they first met around 2018 or 2019 at his traditional wedding in Mamelodi, where Matlala was introduced as a businessman. Since then, they remained in contact and would occasionally meet when Senona was in Durban.
Why this testimony matters
Beyond the legal arguments, this testimony has struck a nerve because it reflects a deeper public frustration. Social media reaction has been swift, with many South Africans questioning how alleged crime figures can move so comfortably within elite police circles.
The Matlala case is no longer just about one man or one contract. It has become a mirror held up to the SAPS, exposing how blurred lines between personal relationships and professional authority can corrode public trust.
As the Madlanga Commission continues, the unanswered questions now loom larger than ever. Do recordings of that meeting exist? Who is telling the full truth about how it was arranged? And how deep do these alleged networks really go?
For now, Senona’s testimony has ensured one thing. The Matlala case is no longer quietly unfolding. It is firmly in the national spotlight.
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Source: IOL
Featured Image: SABC News
