After being scheduled to testify on Wednesday morning, KwaZulu-Natal Hawks head Maj-Gen Lesetja Senona, who is linked to alleged drug cartel member Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, will be testifying at the Madlanga commission in January.
The news was revealed by retired Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, who is the chairperson of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System.
When the commission’s proceedings started at 10.30am on Wednesday, the chief evidence leader, Adv. Matthew Chaskalson SC, said the commission and Senona’s legal team reached an agreement that he will testify on January 27.
“General Senona’s legal team raised an objection in relation to the documents given to General Senona and their readiness to proceed.
“We will not go into detail about the rights and wrongs of that. Senona has correctly presented himself before the commission today.
“The discussion with the legal team is that General Senona’s evidence will not proceed today. It will proceed in January next year,” said Chaskalson.
Senona was seated in the witness box on Wednesday.
Testimony by EMPD deputy chief postponed
He said Senona will testify on January 27 at 9.30am, and he has been directed to furnish his sworn written statement to the commission by January 16.
Madlanga said when Senona appears on January 27, he will testify and be questioned. Senona agreed with the commission’s ruling.
Chaskalson said suspended Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi was scheduled to appear on Thursday, but he has requested further time to prepare his testimony.
As a result, Madlanga ruled that the commission will not sit on Thursday due to the unavailability of a witness.
He ruled that on Friday, the commission will hear testimony from Lt-Gen HK Senthumule, the South African Police Service divisional commissioner of detective and forensic services, regarding the infamous 121 case dockets of the political killings task team.
Madlanga said next week the commission will hear testimony from Mkhwanazi, other EMPD witnesses, and further testimony on the disbandment decision of the KwaZulu-Natal political killings task team.
Earlier, commission spokesperson Jeremy Michaels said Senona will start his testimony on Wednesday at 10am instead of the usual 9.30am “due to a technical issue”.
WhatsApp chats between Matlala and Senona
Meanwhile, in October, Witness X took the commission through the WhatsApp chats between Matlala and Senona.
The commission broadcast the chats, which took place between December 22, 2024, and May 14, 2025, on a screen for everyone to see.
Witness X’s statement stated that chats reveal that there is a beneficial relationship between Matlala and Senona.
The statement said Senona has an interest in protecting Matlala, highlighting that Senona has shared institutional and confidential police information with Matlala.
In his statement, Witness X said Matlala and Senona were discussing facilitating a property deal for Senona’s son, Thato.
The discussion was about Senona getting Matlala to buy Thato a two-bedroom apartment in Menlyn, Pretoria.
Witness X’s statement states that he does not know if the purchase of the property was concluded.
Furthermore, in the chats, Senona tells Matlala that he must legally challenge the SAPS’ decision to terminate his R360-million three-year health tender.
Matlala received the health tender in 2024; however, the national commissioner of police, General Fannie Masemola, cancelled it in May 2025.
