The head of the Hawks in KwaZulu-Natal, Maj-Gen Lesetja Senona, has revealed Steve Motsumi as the person his lawyers had claimed to be “dangerous” and whose name he could not mention at the Madlanga commission when reading a WhatsApp message he received from KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
Senona had been reluctant to mention Motsumi’s name earlier during proceedings, with his lawyers arguing it could put his life in danger.
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This witness [Senona] is therefore not the author. So what he is doing is merely reading the text that comes from [Lt-] Gen Mkhwanazi
— Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga
Motsumi’s name was contained in a WhatsApp text message Senona claims Mkhwanazi sent him after criminal suspect Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala disclosed to parliament’s ad hoc committee in November that he met Mkhwanazi.
KZN head of Hawks Lesetja Senona has revealed a connection between suspended deputy national commissioner for crime detection Shadrack Sibiya and Steve Motsumi (a name that was withheld during his testimony on Tuesday) after Senona's lawyers argued that revealing the name would… pic.twitter.com/zw0nHfkCsV
— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) January 28, 2026
The text suggests that Matlala gave Mkhwanazi details of the relationship between suspended deputy national police commissioner Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya and Motsumi during their meeting in Umhlanga in April last year.
Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga ruled that revealing the name would pose no harm to Senona, as he would be reading a text that he had received.
“This witness is therefore not the author,” he said. “So what he is doing is merely reading the text that comes from [Lt-] Gen Mkhwanazi.
“And what is said in that is thus not being said by him. It is something that is being said by Mkhwanazi. It’s information which is 100% from Mkhwanazi,” Madlanga said.
Senona said the meeting between Mkhwanazi and Matlala was arranged by former police minister Bheki Cele, who did not attend the meeting.
He said during the meeting Mkhwanazi had offered to hold off on the investigation against Matlala for the attempted assassination of Matlala’s former partner, Tebogo Thobejane.
Senona’s lawyer, Palesa Mafisa, argued on Tuesday that naming Motsumi would endanger Senona’s life.
Evidence leader Adv Adila Hassim argued that it was important for Motsumi’s name to be mentioned, as the commission was also trying to establish if there was a connection between Sibiya and Motsumi.
Proceedings continue.
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