WhatsApp texts have revealed that attempted murder accused Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala shared a “strictly confidential memo” that contained President Cyril Ramaphosa’s details with the KwaZulu-Natal head of the Hawks.
This was revealed on Tuesday at the Madlanga commission by Adv Adila Hassim, who was reading the testimony of Witness X, whose identity the commission has decided to keep secret.
The testimony being presented was allegedly based on information retrieved from Matlala’s phone after his arrest over allegations that he ordered a hit on his ex-girlfriend, actress Tebogo Thobejane.
Hassim said: “On April 13 2025, Mr Matlala forwards three documents to [KwaZulu-Natal Hawks’ head] Maj-Gen Lesetja Senona. One, the results of a LexisNexis wind-deep search on the Senzo and Thembeka Mchunu Foundation. Two, a document titled Memo Biz Traces to April 2020, containing information relating to what appears to be multiple identity numbers for President Ramaphosa.”
The strictly confidential memo, she said, included recommendations for the destruction of company records at two companies and the SA Revenue Service and “computer mainframe files encapsulating the above-mentioned sensitive information” and to “close the bank account linked to the identity documents which are in question, except the common identity number”, which had been redacted.
Hassim said the reason behind the forwarding of the documents is still unknown at this stage.
Witness X had earlier informed the commission that they would take over from where Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo, the suspended divisional commissioner of police crime intelligence, had left off in his testimony to the commission.
Khumalo had fallen ill, leading to the commission postponing the proceedings. In their testimony, Witness X presented information about cellphone chats between Matlala and Senona.
Witness X said that the chats took place between December 22 last year and May 14, and are set to prove the beneficial relationship between Matlala and Senona, Senona’s efforts in protecting Matlala, and the sharing of institutional and confidential information from Senona to Matlala.
The commission is probing allegations of criminality, political interference, and corruption in the criminal justice system.
The proceedings continue.
Sowetan
