Major General Lesetja Senona absent from Hawks headquarters amid investigation

KwaZulu-Natal’s head of the Hawks (Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation), Major General Lesetja Senona, continues to be absent from the SAPS provincial headquarters on Bram Fischer Road in Durban’s CBD.

This follows a notice issued to Senona by the SAPS national office, requiring him to explain why he should not be removed from his current position.

Earlier this week, Daily News reported that the Major General had until Monday, February 2, to provide a plausible explanation as to why he should remain in office. The ultimatum came shortly after his appearance before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry last week.

A well-placed source with intimate knowledge of developments within Hawks circles told the publication that Senona was still not on duty at the office as of Tuesday.

“I can confirm to you now that he’s not in the office today (Tuesday), and tomorrow we have a meeting that will be chaired by someone else, not him (Senona),” the source said.

KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi ordered Senona’s removal last week while investigations into allegations against him were under way.

On Saturday, Senona and his secretary were escorted out of the provincial police building by several officers following a perceived security breach.

Senona’s lawyer, Rudolph Baloyi, was quoted in media reports as saying his client was also informed on Saturday that he must not return to the office. Baloyi added that Senona was instructed to surrender his work equipment and told not to return.

DPCI national spokesperson Brigadier Thandi Mbambo reiterated her previous statement to Daily News, insisting that Senona’s matter remains confidential between the employee and the employer.

Senona faced tough questions at the Madlanga Commission regarding his relationship with alleged crime boss Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala. He was also named in a Presidency statement as one of five senior-ranking police officers identified in the commission’s interim report as requiring further investigation.

One of the key issues surrounding Senona relates to the controversial theft of 541 kilograms of cocaine, valued at approximately R200 million, which went missing in November 2021 from a storage facility in Port Shepstone that lacked an alarm system.

The cocaine, seized by Hawks investigators after inspecting a shipping container at a Durban depot in June 2021, was among the matters scrutinised when Senona appeared before the Madlanga Commission last week.

The disappearance of the drugs initially prompted the Hawks to classify the incident as a break-in and theft. However, nearly five years later, no arrests have been made.

Sources close to the ongoing internal investigation suggested that Senona may have played a role in the disappearance of the cocaine and other alleged unlawful activities.

“An investigation into his conduct has been completed, and a disciplinary inquiry has been initiated against Senona and others,” said a source familiar with the matter.

Senona has publicly denied any wrongdoing. However, his position as KwaZulu-Natal’s Hawks boss has been placed under scrutiny due to the allegations raised against him.

While testifying at the Madlanga Commission about the missing drugs, Senona stated that someone had “sold them out,” but insisted that it was not him.

The commission’s evidence leader, Advocate Adila Hassim, read from a document highlighting serious security shortcomings at the Port Shepstone facility.

“One, no CCTV cameras are installed in and around the premises. Two, there is no early-warning alarm system in the office space, especially in offices located on the ground floor. Three, no beam sensors are located outside the office premises,” Hassim said.

DAILY NEWS