The businessman claims the former KZN Hawks boss had his 'best interests' at heart.
Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala appears before Madlanga commission at Brigette Mabandla Judicial College in Pretoria on 26 August 2026. Picture: Gallo Images/Frennie Shivambu
Tenderpreneur Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala has shed further light on his close relationship with former KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Hawks head Lesetja Senona, telling the Madlanga commission that the senior police official advised him to challenge the cancellation of his multi-million contract with the South Africa Police Service (Saps).
Matlala was testifying before the commission on Wednesday, 26 August 2026, where much of the questioning focused on his relationship with Senona, who resigned from the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), commonly known as the Hawks, in June.
Senona stood accused of using his former position to assist Matlala, including the R360 million Saps health services tender awarded to Matlala’s company, Medicare24 Tshwane District.
The former provincial Hawks head previously described his relationship with Matlala as “brotherly” while denying having any financial interest in his businesses.
Cat Matlala’s relationship with Senona
Matlala testified on Wednesday that his relationship with Senona became closer after they attended the funeral of the mother of alleged Big Five cartel leader and late taxi boss Jontham Msibi in 2020 or 2021.
The two had initially met at a wedding in 2019, according to Senona.
The businessman told the commission the pair subsequently discussed a number of issues, including his Saps contract and the KZN-based Political Killings Task Team (PKTT).
“This is someone that I share my problems with,” Matlala remarked.
He indicated that Senona advised him to seek legal recourse after the contract was terminated by Saps in May 2025 following allegations of irregularities.
The advice was contained in WhatsApp messages exchanged between the two on 13 May 2025, a day before Matlala was arrested in connection with the attempted murder of his former girlfriend, Tebogo Thobejane.
Evidence leader Adila Hassim put it to Matlala that the WhatsApp exchange suggested Senona wanted the contract to continue.
“What General Senona says to you is, ‘This is so sad. It leaves one with no choice but to seek legal advice on this issue, with a view to challenging the decision.’
“You respond, ‘True, my advocate advised I should make an interdict within 48 hours.’ And then he says, ‘Take them on, brother,’ and you say, ‘I am on it.’
“So that confirms that it’s in relation to the termination of the contract. He had an interest in your contract continuing, isn’t that so?” Hassim asked.
‘Best interests’
Matlala disputed the insinuation that Senona had a personal or financial interest in the tender, saying the former KZN Hawks boss had his “best interests” at heart.
“There’s nothing for him to have interest in the contract… but he knows that I need the contract so that was his advice from him to me,” he responded.
The businessman also denied that Senona had received money or a fee linked to the contract.
When questioned further about possible benefits, he declined to expand further.
“Those benefits or whatever is under investigation so I chose to, please, not comment on that.”
‘He couldn’t help’
Matlala further rejected the suggestion that he had relied on Senona to intervene on his behalf after the contract was cancelled.
He testified that he had previously spoken to Senona about difficulties in getting Saps to pay invoices relating to the Medicare24 contract, but insisted that these conversations were between friends and not an attempt to use Senona’s position within the police service.
“I was doing it as my big brother, not because he was part of Saps,” Matlala said.
He added: “Even if I did, he was not part of the supply chain or anything he could help me with. That’s why I said he couldn’t help.”
Matlala nevertheless acknowledged that Senona’s involvement in assisting with the contract was limited to accompanying him to a meeting with KZN Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi in Umhlanga on 15 April 2025.
Senona did not participate in the conversation between Matlala and Mkhwanazi during the meeting, which discussed the tender, particularly the issue of purchase orders, and other related matters.
The businessman further told the commission that Senona had assisted him financially on a personal level.
The former Hawks boss, Matlala revealed, lent him R20 000 after police raided his home in Pretoria on 6 December 2024.
