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.
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Senona had told the commission that 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.
“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.
Senona failed to explain where he had obtained the police affidavit from insisting it was in the public domain.
Senona also told the commission that on March 5, he learnt about Matlala changing the directors of his company and about the alleged fraud he had committed to get an SAPS tender. He said he then became “wary” of him and gradually started to distance himself from him.
However, the commission showed him a number of WhatsApp chats between him and Matlala, which discredited his version of events.
The commission also used text messages for a meeting that Senona was organising between Matlala and KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Mkhwanazi in April last year. He also accompanied Matlala to the meeting, which was held at a hotel in Durban.
Senona said he went to the meeting because he was offering Matlala moral support and said the meeting had been organised by former police minister Bheki Cele.
Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga said by attending the meeting, he proved he maintained the relationship with Matlala despite claiming he had gradually distanced himself from him.
“If that is the case, then let it be,” Senona responded.
In March last year, Matlala sent Senona a “confidential” document titled “Memo Biz Traces”that contained three different ID numbers allegedly belonging to Ramaphosa.
Senona claimed to have not read the document.
Matlala and Senona also met in Menlyn Mall in March. After the meeting, Matlala sent Senona a document containing suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu’s foundation details.
Senona is accused of sharing the sensitive police information in order to maintain the business relationship that his son shared with Matlala.
Deokaran, the late acting chief director financial accounting officer in the Gauteng department of health, was gunned down outside her Winchester Hills home.
An investigation by the Special Investigating Unit revealed Deokaran had flagged Matlala’s companies for irregular tenders worth millions awarded to him by Tembisa Hospital.
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