'These messages are threatening to me and Mr Matlala and amount to intimidation,' he claimed.
Another witness has accused KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi of sending him threatening messages.
The first one was suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, who was forced to apologise to parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee for failing to provide proof of the threats.
On Tuesday, Major-General Lesetja Senona, head of the KZN Hawks, told the Madlanga Commission that Mkhwanazi allegedly sent him threatening messages in November 2025.
Senona testified about Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala’s R360 million healthcare contract with the South African Police Service (Saps), which has since been cancelled.
He denied having assisted Matlala in securing the tender. However, Matlala did inform him when his company, Medicare24, stopped receiving purchase orders for the tender.
Cat Matlala meeting with Mkhwanazi
Then came Mkhwanazi, who allegedly offered to assist Matlala in sorting out the issue.
“On 15 April 2025, I accompanied Mr Matlala to a meeting held between him and General Mkhwanazi. The meeting was organised by the former minister Bheki Cele, who was not present on the day. Mr Matlala requested that I accompany him for moral support as he was not comfortable meeting with the General alone,” explained Senona.
ALSO READ: Saps CFO describes Cat Matlala contract as an ’embarrassment’
“The meeting was held at an apartment at the Pearls Umhlanga Hotel, presumably owned by Mkhwanazi. Upon arrival, we sat in the living room area. We had general conversations. Shortly thereafter, Mr Matlala and General Mkhwanazi began their discussions on the issues of the payments. I am not privy to all that was discussed as I was moving between the living area and the kitchen.
“My knowledge, however, is that: General Mkhwanazi agreed to assist Mr Matlala to get the purchase orders from head office and Lt-Gen Lineo Nkhuoa; General Mkhwanazi spoke on Lt-Gen Nkhuoa’s rumours that she is owning properties beyond her affordability, which might amount to corruption.
“General Mkhwanazi also offered to hold investigations against Mr Matlala for the alleged attempted murder of Tebogo Thobejane in exchange for information in relation to Lt-Gen Sibiya.”
Threats
Following the meeting, Mkhwanazi allegedly sent threatening messages to Senona.
“Consequent to the meeting above and on 26 November 2025, I received a series of threatening WhatsApp messages from Lt-Gen Mkhwanazi.
“I was sent these chats in response to Mr Matlala’s appearance before the Ad Hoc Committee on 26 and 27 November 2025. These messages are threatening to me and Mr Matlala and amount to intimidation.
“They were sent at 18:31 and 18:53, and they were deleted. Unfortunately, I was unable to capture what was said there.”
When Matlala appeared before the ad hoc committee, he claimed Mkhwanazi offered to help him with his tender in exchange for his intervention in a torture complaint filed against him [Mkhwanazi] with the Ipid.
READ MORE: ‘Salvaging’ R360m tenders and redirecting targets: Inside ‘Cat’ Matlala’s meeting with Mkhwanazi
Senzo Mchunu’s letter
The commission further pressed Senona on why he sent Matlala a letter drafted by Mchunu in which he directed the disbandment of the political killings task team (PKTT).
“As is known by the commission, the letter had been leaked as of 1 January 2025. I merely forwarded the letter to Mr Matlala, as it was garnering the attention of many on social media, including myself,” explained Senona.
“I deny the allegations that I possessed knowledge that Mr Matlala was being investigated by the PKTT. After I forwarded it to him, I just left it there; we never discussed a lot of things. We were sharing things social media.
“I believe I might have shared the letter with my other friends too [he cannot prove this because his phone got damaged]. I am only privy to investigations within the DPCI KZN and couldn’t have possibly known that Mr Matlala was under investigation by the PKTT.”
He said he sent Matlala the letter despite not knowing if it was a subject of interest to him.
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