KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Hawks head Lesetja Senona testifies before the Madlanga commission at Brigitte Mabandla Judicial College in Pretoria on 28 January 2026. Picture: Gallo Images / Frennie Shivambu KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Hawks head Lesetja Senona has claimed that his WhatsApp exchanges with tenderpreneur and attempted murder accused Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala have been tampered with. Senona returned to the hot seat on Wednesday for his second day of testimony before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, which is probing allegations of criminality, political interference and corruption within the criminal justice system.
His appearance follows testimony on Tuesday, in which he described his relationship with Matlala as “brotherly”. During proceedings, evidence leader Advocate Adila Hassim questioned Senona about documents Matlala sent to him during a meeting on 13 April 2025 at the Menlyn Maine hotel in Pretoria. At the meeting, Matlala shared a document related to the Senzo and Tembeka Mchunu Foundation.
Senona told the commission he did not know why Matlala sent him the document, as he did not open or read it. “I didn’t read it because we were talking,” he said, adding that he does not know the contents of the document. When asked whether the document was discussed during the meeting, Senona said the pair only had a “general” conversation. “It’s personal things that I don’t want to disclose here.” Hassim pointed out that the meeting took place after Senona claimed to have decided to distance himself from Matlala following the publication of a news article about him on 5 March 2025.
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