Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala denied any improper corrupt dealings with former KwaZulu-Natal Hawks head Lesetja Senona describing the relationship as “brotherly”.
During his testimony at the Madlanga Commission, Matlala said he regularly met with Senona for advice but only did one business venture with him which is the subject of a criminal investigation.
When evidence leader Adila Hassim questioned Matlala about his friendship with Senona, he said they met at Senona’s wedding in 2018 .
“Not friends but he’s my older brother,” Matlala said.
Senona resigned with immediate effect on June 30, 2026, after being suspended amid scrutiny at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry over the 2021 theft of 541kg of cocaine from a police facility in Port Shepstone.
During his testimony, Senona denied any involvement in the missing drug consignment or misconduct, as well as ties to Matlala.
Senona also denied actively helping Matlala secure government contracts, although he acknowledged advising him to sue the SAPS when payments for the Medicare24 contract were withheld.
Senona also described his relationship with Matlala as a seven-year, strictly social and “brotherly” relationship, saying they met at Matlala’s traditional wedding around 2019.
Matlala said Senona was from the same township as alleged Big Five cartel leader Jotham Msibi and that the two became close as a result. He said they sat together at Msibi’s mother’s funeral in 2021 and began communicating regularly thereafter.
Matlala said he would meet Senona when he visited Durban, while Senona would meet him when he visited Pretoria.
The two met “quite a lot” of times, Matlala said, adding that they discussed the operations of his Cat VIP Protection security business. He said Senona would recommend clients to him.
Matlala also conceded that he told Senona about the raid on his home on December 6, 2024, by Gauteng Counter-intelligence officers working with the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT).
“I was worried that I was being robbed but as soon as I found out that it was the police, I explained to him what happened,” Matlala said.
Matlala’s laptop and cellphone were confiscated during the raid. He later asked Senona for a R20,000 loan.
Senona allegedly assured Matlala that he would make inquiries about the raid. Matlala said he later learnt from former police minister Bheki Cele that the PKTT was responsible.
In one WhatsApp exchange, Matlala wrote: “The guy [Cele] I went to see really helped. I’ll tell you whenever you are back on this side. I’m starting with our project, nothing is disturbing me now.”
Senona responded: “I will be in Pretoria next week. I request that if things are favourable, let’s finalise the contract for those guys who assisted us.”
When Hassim asked Matlala about the mutual business project with Senona, he refused to answer, saying the project was under investigation and that he did not want to incriminate himself.
He said he also met Senona’s son, Thato, who was attempting to secure a job at Ford in Mamelodi, where Matlala hails from. Matlala refused to provide further details about his dealings with Thato, saying they were also the subject of a police investigation.
Commission chairperson Judge Mbuyiseli Madlanga pointed out that Senona had testified that the project in question involved the purchase of an apartment for rental purposes.
Matlala confirmed that the apartment was a mutual project involving him, Senona and Thato and said it cost less than R3 million. He then refused to answer further questions about the project.
WhatsApp messages also show that Senona sent Matlala the letter written by suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu ordering the disbandment of the PKTT.
Matlala said he had initially received the letter from Brown Mogotsi, an alleged police informant and Mchunu’s alleged middleman with Matlala. Mogotsi was the first person to tell him that it was the PKTT that raided his home, while Cele later confirmed the unit’s involvement.
Hassim asked Matlala why Senona had sent him Mchunu’s disbandment letter.
“By that time he already knew that they were the ones who raided my house, maybe he wanted to show me that the unit had been disbanded,” Matlala said.
Matlala was also questioned about a message in which Senona advised him to sue the SAPS over the termination of his Medicare24 contract after an audit report found irregularities.
Matlala had sent Senona a draft letter from his lawyers addressed to the SAPS.
“Take them on, brother,” Senona wrote.
“I’m on it,” Matlala replied.
The commission played a video from Matlala sent to Senona which features the voice of Lineo Nkhuoa, Divisional Commissioner for Human Resource Management and Acting Deputy National Commissioner for Support Services talking about the Medicare24 project.
Asked why he sent the video to Senona, he said: “I thought by then they were going to implement a penalty and that I was not going to get any work anymore,” said Matlala.
He said he sent the clip to Senona because he was worried that he wasn't going to get any purchase orders from the SAPS.
He said Senona was someone he shared his challenges with and did not expect him to do anything about it.