General Lesetja Senona Tells Madlanga Commission General Mkhwanazi Sent Him ‘Threatening’ Messages
- Major General Lesetja Senona testified about messages he received from Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi
- The head of the Hawks in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) said he felt intimidated by the messages that were sent over WhatsApp
- South Africans took to social media to weigh in on his claims, questioning which part of the message made him feel threatened
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Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism
GAUTENG - Major General Lesetja Senona alleged that he received threatening messages from Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, which left him shaking.
General Senona, who is the head of the Hawks in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), made the admission before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry. The general appeared before the commission, which is sitting at the Bridgitte Mabandla Justice College in Pretoria on 27 January 2026.
The KZN Hawks head’s testimony before the commission largely focused on his relationship with Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala, the controversial tenderpreneur and attempted murder accused. Part of it also focused on a meeting between Matlala and General Mkhwanazi, of which General Senona was in attendance.
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General Senona reads out the text General Mkhwanazi
During his testimony, the Hawks head testified that he received ‘threatening’ texts on WhatsApp from General Mkhwanazi. The texts were received on 26 November 2025, after Cat Matlala’s appearance before the Ad Hoc Committee.
In the alleged message, General Mkhwanazi said he would return to the Ad Hoc Committee and expose Matala’s lies to the Members of Parliament.
"I'm going back to the committee. I hope he doesn't mind me exposing him to both Sibiya and Mr So and So,” Mkhwanazi’s message read.
Mr So and So’s name was concealed because General Senona said his life would be at risk if he mentioned the person, as they were dangerous.
General Senona explains why the message was threatening
After reading out the message, Advocate Adila Hassim asked what was threatening in the message. He explained that the message came as a surprise to him, and he felt that it was a warning that he shouldn’t mention it during his testimony.
"These messages rattled me," he said.
He also disputed claims Mkhwanazi made in the messages that it was he (General Senona) who arranged the meeting, and an allegation that he told General Mkhwanazi that he and Cat Matala grew up together.
South Africans react to General Senona’s claims
Social media users weighed in on General Senona’s claims that the messages were threatening, asking where the threat was.
@Kay_Rantai asked:
“Senona better not be pulling a Mchunu on us. Where exactly is the threat in that message, or did I miss it?”
@phems63 questioned:
“Where's the threat?”
@SakheDolonga stated:
“Clickbait.”
@Nt168618 added:
“In a threatening WhatsApp? Please share the threats.”
Other stories about Generala Senona's testimony
Briefly News reported that General Senona has made several allegations during his testimony before the commission.
General Senona denied knowledge of the Big Five cartels, saying he only knew about the Big Five animals.
The Hawks head admitted that he sent the Political Killings Task Team disbandment letter to Cat Matlala.
General Senona refused to answer whether his wife was related to Cat Matlala, as they both shared the same surname.
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Source: Briefly News
