Explosive revelations have emerged from the ongoing Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, where it was disclosed that controversial businessman and tenderpreneur Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala allegedly sent a document containing multiple identification numbers belonging to President Cyril Ramaphosa to the KwaZulu-Natal head of the Hawks, Major General Lesetja Senona.
According to testimony presented before the commission, the document — sent via encrypted communication — appeared to contain sensitive personal details, including several variations of ID numbers linked to President Ramaphosa. Investigators suspect the information may have been extracted from confidential state databases or classified records, raising concerns about potential data breaches within government systems.
The commission, chaired by Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, is probing a complex web of alleged information leaks between politically connected business figures and senior law enforcement officials. These exchanges reportedly involved classified material about top government leaders, including the President, and were said to have been used to influence internal investigations and political outcomes.
During the latest hearing, forensic experts testified that the document sent by Matlala was “highly irregular” and contained at least three ID numbers that appeared to have been generated or altered digitally — suggesting tampering or unauthorized duplication of state records.
“This is a serious breach,” one investigator told the commission. “The inclusion of multiple ID numbers for a single sitting head of state is not only unlawful but points to possible data manipulation or identity misuse at a very high level.”
Opposition MPs and anti-corruption advocates have called for a full criminal investigation into how Matlala obtained the President’s personal data and whether any state officials facilitated the leaks.
Meanwhile, President Ramaphosa’s spokesperson has declined to comment in detail, citing the ongoing proceedings, but reaffirmed that “the Presidency has full confidence in the Madlanga Commission and supports efforts to uncover any unlawful breaches of classified data.”
Matlala, who has been implicated in several other scandals involving alleged corruption and influence-peddling, has yet to provide testimony before the commission. He is expected to appear in the coming weeks to respond to the latest allegations and explain the source of the sensitive document he forwarded to the Hawks.
The inquiry continues to unravel what investigators describe as “a sophisticated network of political and intelligence manipulation” that has shaken public confidence in the country’s top law enforcement agencies.
