Major-General Lesetja Senona, head of the KZN Hawks, has accused KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi of sending him threatening WhatsApp messages in November 2025.
Testifying at the Madlanga Commission on Tuesday, Senona said the messages were sent after businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala appeared before Parliament’s ad hoc committee. Senona described the messages as threatening and intimidating toward both himself and Matlala, though he could not retrieve them as they were deleted.
Senona also detailed a meeting in April 2025 at a Umhlanga hotel apartment, where he accompanied Matlala to meet Mkhwanazi. According to Senona, Mkhwanazi agreed to help Matlala resolve payment issues related to a cancelled SAPS healthcare contract and offered to investigate Matlala’s attempted murder case in exchange for information on a senior police official.
Senona denied knowing Matlala was under investigation by the political killings task team (PKTT) when he forwarded him a leaked letter from then-Police Minister Senzo Mchunu disbanding the unit. He said he shared the letter because it was circulating on social media.
Mkhwanazi has not yet responded to the latest allegations.