The Madlanga commission has used WhatsApp chats to demonstrate that KwaZulu-Natal Hawks head Maj-Gen Lesetja Senona still maintained a questionable relationship with alleged drug cartel member Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala. This was despite learning that Matlala was linked to the 2021 murder of whistleblower Babita Deokaran. The WhatsApp chats contain police affidavits, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s ID numbers, and details about a meeting between Matlala and KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
[WATCH | Name of ‘dangerous man’ revealed at Madlanga commissionOpens in new window] Senona had told the commissionthat he had started to distance himself from Matlala on March 5 last year after learning that Matlala was linked to the 2021 hit on Deokaran. Deokaran had exposed grand corruption at Tembisa Hospital. Senona claimed that he had eventually cut Matlala off.
However, the commission heard that on March 10, Senona sent Matlala a police affidavit in the matter of alleged kidnapping kingpin Esmael Nangy. The document contained ID numbers and the names and contact details of the police officers investigating the matter, including the station they were deployed to. Senona claimed he shared the document with Matlala to warn him about the kidnapper who was residing in Centurion where Matlala also lived.
Read Full Article on The Sowetan
[paywall]
“I never thought it contained personal documents. I never read the documents. It caught my eye, and I sent it [to Matlala].
I never realised the magnitude of the document,” Senona told the commission. “Maybe I can say it was an oversight for me not to read the entire document before sending it. I made an error and did not read the whole document.
I read the first page only.” Senona said that he first met Matlala around 2018 at his [Senona’s] traditional wedding in Pretoria, and he liked him because he appeared respectful. He said from then on they shared news articles via WhatsApp.
[/paywall]
