The head of the KwaZulu-Natal Hawks, Major General Lesetja Senona, is facing intense scrutiny after evidence emerged that he allegedly shared a confidential SAPS docket containing sensitive personal information of police officers with an individual accused of organised crime.
Testimony heard on Wednesday, 28 January, at the Madlanga Commission revealed that Senona — despite holding top-secret security clearance — allegedly provided Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala with a police docket linked to a civil claim against the South African Police Service by alleged Mozambican kidnapping kingpin Esmael Nangy.
The docket reportedly included an affidavit and multiple annexures containing highly sensitive information, including identity numbers, cellphone numbers and identity photographs of six KwaZulu-Natal Hawks members under Senona’s command, as well as officers attached to provincial Crime Intelligence.
The allegations form part of a broader set of claims that left Senona struggling to give convincing explanations during his testimony. Among the most contentious was his assertion that he was unaware of Matlala’s alleged involvement in the R2.3-billion Tembisa Hospital corruption scandal — despite describing Matlala as someone he regarded as a “younger brother”.
The commission also heard allegations that Senona actively supported Matlala’s legal action against SAPS following the cancellation of a R360-million Medicare24 contract with the police service. In addition, evidence was presented that Senona shared a media article suggesting that KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi was not seeking appointment as national Hawks head.
These revelations surfaced during the second day of Senona’s appearance before the commission. On Tuesday, he was questioned extensively about a meeting he allegedly facilitated and attended on 15 April 2025 with both Matlala and Mkhwanazi.
The Nangy docket controversy
Central to the commission’s concerns is the so-called Nangy docket, which relates to reporting by News24 that cited a confidential police intelligence report. The report allegedly linked a consultant involved in negotiating the release of a kidnapping victim to Nangy.
While the article referenced the existence of the report, it did not publish the affidavit or its supporting documents. This discrepancy became a focal point of the commission’s questioning, as Senona was pressed to explain why he allegedly sent the complete SAPS docket — including non-public documents — to Matlala, an individual implicated in serious criminal activity.
Senona’s responses reportedly failed to satisfy the commission, deepening concerns about the handling of classified police information and the conduct of senior law enforcement officials.