The Madlanga commission has instructed KwaZulu-Natal Hawks head Lesetja Senona to return for testimony on June 1 2026, following a postponement of his scheduled appearance this week.
Senona was initially expected to appear before the commission on Friday but will no longer do so after his legal team raised procedural objections and cited prior commitments.
These include a disciplinary hearing from June 4 to 6 and a court appearance in Durban on June 7.
‘Summons procedurally flawed’
According to submissions made to the commission, Senona’s lawyers argued that the summons issued to him was procedurally flawed. They contended that it was not preceded by a Rule 3 notice and lacked supporting documentation.
They further stated that the matters outlined in the summons had already been addressed by their client.
However, commission chairperson justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga indicated that a subpoena would be issued to compel Senona’s attendance.
Madlanga made these remarks on Wednesday during testimony by Hendrik Flynn, the Component Head for Serious Organised Crime at the SAPS Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks).
Flynn’s cocaine theft testimony
Flynn’s testimony focused on serious procedural lapses surrounding the handling of a large cocaine seizure in 2021.
“There is no innocent explanation for the theft of 541kg of cocaine seized in 2021,” Flynn told the commission.
“The irregularities surrounding the seizure cannot be attributed to a lack of training.”
The drugs, valued at approximately R200-million, were reportedly transferred from Isipingo SAPS to Port Shepstone, where they were later stolen. Flynn said proper protocols were not followed during this process.
“The handling of the cocaine exhibits moved from Isipingo SAPS to Port Shepstone offices, where they were later stolen was not correct,” he said.
“The strict procedures that should have been followed including risk assessments, secure storage, and maintaining a clear chain of custody were not followed.”
‘No authorising documents’
Flynn added that he had never seen any documentation authorising or recording the transfer of the drugs.
“There is no report confirming that the consignment seized in 2021 and later stolen was formally verified as cocaine,” he said.
Commissioner Sandile Khumalo also expressed concern about the apparent lack of intent to properly process the seized substances.
“It appears there was never any intention for the 541kg of suspected cocaine seized in 2021 to be submitted to the SAPS Forensic Science Laboratory for analysis,” Khumalo said.
Flynn agreed with Khumalo’s assessment.
“I strongly agree with this assessment. In my view, there was no intention for the substances to ever reach the FSL for proper testing and confirmation.”
He further indicated that Senona should have been subjected to a polygraph test, as other officers had been, in relation to the alleged theft.
The commission continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the cocaine and the conduct of law enforcement officials involved.
- KwaZulu-Natal Hawks head Lesetja Senona's testimony at the Madlanga commission has been postponed to June 1, 2026, after his legal team raised procedural objections and cited scheduling conflicts.
- Senona’s lawyers argued the summons was procedurally flawed, lacking a Rule 3 notice and supporting documents, and that the issues had already been addressed.
- The commission chair, Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, plans to issue a subpoena to compel Senona’s attendance despite these objections.
- Hendrik Flynn testified about serious procedural failures in handling a 2021 cocaine seizure of 541kg valued at around R200 million, including improper transfer and lack of verification and documentation.
- The commission suspects there was no intention to properly process the seized cocaine through forensic analysis and considers polygraph testing for Senona due to possible misconduct.
