Picture: The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Head of the Hawks, Major General Lesetja Senona
By OBAKENG MAJE
2 February 2026- The police in KwaZulu-Natal said they would like to set the record straight on reports that the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Head of the Hawks, Major General Lesetja Senona was kicked out of his office and had his electronic devices taken away from him. The police said Senona has a dedicated Senior Manager’s parking bay reserved for him on the Parking Level 1 of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial HeadQuarters building.
The KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson, Colonel Robert Netshiunda said the parking is available for him every day at any time. However, Netshiunda said on 31 January 2026, unusual events happened at the Provincial HeadQuarters of police in KwaZulu-Natal.
“Senona arrived at the building and chose to park on the street parking opposite the building, not at his dedicated parking inside the building. Moments later he was joined by another Colonel, also from the Hawks in KwaZulu-Natal. The Colonel left his vehicle and joined Senona in his vehicle for approximately 45 minutes.
“Later on, Senona and his secretary entered the building through the main entrance. On weekends and after normal working hours, everybody who enters the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial HeadQuarters building, regardless of rank, must sign a register. Senona breached that security protocol by going through to his office without signing the register,” he said.
Netshiunda further said his secretary signed, but only for herself. The Colonel, who also entered the building, also failed to sign the register. He added that, the unusual events of Senona coming to work on a Saturday, the parking of his vehicle on the street and not at his parking bay inside the building, the unusual in-the-car meeting on the street with a Colonel, and the failure to sign the mandatory register raised security concerns.
“The South African Police Service (SAPS) has a responsibility to safeguard sensitive information from leakage, and with Senona’s testimony at the Madlanga Commission revealing that he once sent out police documents to a private person, the unusual events on the day compelled the security personnel on duty, especially those who were manning the camera system, to inform the KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, about the unusual activities which they observed.
“Mkhwanazi instructed the security personnel to go to Senona to ask him what he was doing in the office. Senona chose to leave the office, and wanted to take the state computer and other documents with him. He was then asked to leave all state property behind, except for his official cell phone. Senona voluntarily left the keys of his office,” said Netshiunda.
He said in respect of internal police protocol, Mkhwanazi informed the acting National Head of the Hawks of what happened and asked him to send someone to fetch office keys which Senona had left with the officer in charge of security officers. Netshiunda said the police in KwaZulu-Natal are focused on executing their mandate of protecting the residents of the province and their property.
“Any other boardroom matter will be ventilated at the correct platforms at the right time,” he said.
The Guardian 