The corridors of power in the City of Tshwane have been rocked by explosive testimony at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, where suspended Chief Financial Officer Gareth Mnisi has been forced to defend himself against allegations of a R2.9 billion tender-rigging conspiracy. The scandal, which involves high-ranking municipal officials, the Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD), and alleged interference from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leadership, has laid bare a sophisticated web of political patronage and financial misconduct.
Appearing for his second day of testimony on Monday, Mnisi faced intense questioning over his relationship with Sergeant Fannie Nkosi, a police officer he described as a "brotherly" figure. The commission’s focus centered on a series of WhatsApp exchanges that suggest a coordinated effort to manipulate a massive security tender for the benefit of politically connected companies.
Central to the probe is a list of seven companies allegedly forwarded to Mnisi by Nkosi. One of the messages, which has become a focal point for investigators, read: "The above is from the red berets, please check with Mfowethu (Mnisi) if it is the same with his from CIC (Juju) to verify the authenticity." The "CIC" is a widely recognised reference to EFF leader Julius Malema.
When pointedly asked by the commission if he had ever received a list of preferred bidders directly from Malema, Mnisi was resolute. "No," he replied, dismissing the notion that the EFF leader had personally provided him with instructions on which companies should secure the R2.9 billion contract.
However, the evidence presented at the commission tells a more complex story. One of the seven companies on the disputed list was Ngaphesheya Construction and Projects, a firm linked to Sergeant Nkosi’s brother, Bheki. Despite allegations that the company failed to meet the necessary tender requirements, Ngaphesheya was among the successful bidders. Recent testimonies revealed that the company received over R2 million from the city between November 2025 and January 2026, part of a broader R10 million payout to various preferred service providers.
Mnisi’s defence relied on the argument that he was merely a passive recipient of these messages. He testified that after receiving the list, he informed Nkosi during a telephone call that he could not "check compliance because the tender has closed." He reiterated that Nkosi, whom he claimed did not understand the municipal procurement process, mistakenly believed that the CFO had the power to retroactively alter the compliance status of bidders.
This version of events was met with stiff resistance from the commission’s leadership. Co-commissioner Advocate Sandile Khumalo SC challenged Mnisi’s narrative, questioning why, if he were truly "annoyed" by the persistence of these requests, he had responded to the messages with a "thank you."
Mnisi claimed he was thanking Nkosi for the "reminder" to send the list, but Co-commissioner Advocate Sesi Baloyi SC was unconvinced. She noted that Mnisi’s WhatsApp acknowledgements showed no signs of the irritation he now claims to have felt. In one particularly damaging exchange, Mnisi referred to the document as "our formal list," which he later clarified to the commission meant the "final list" for which compliance needed to be verified.
“This discussion took place more than a year ago. I have got no reason to lie about this,” Mnisi told the commission, maintaining that he had not cooperated with any attempts to fix the tender. “I was not cooperating with him. There was nothing I could do to check compliance.”
The scope of the alleged interference extends beyond the CFO’s office. The commission heard that Deputy Mayor and Finance MMC Eugene Modise had also been drawn into the fray. Modise allegedly sent a message to Mnisi stating that he had met with representatives from ActionSA and the EFF, who were pushing for five specific companies to be included in the list of preferred bidders.
The Madlanga Commission, which was established to investigate allegations of widespread corruption within the Tshwane municipality, has become a theatre of high-stakes political drama. The R2.9 billion security tender is one of the largest contracts in the city’s history, and the allegations of rigging suggest that the looting of municipal coffers has become a normalised practice among the city's elite.
As the inquiry continues, the focus will likely shift to the "red berets" mentioned in the WhatsApp logs. While Malema has previously dismissed allegations of tender manipulation as a political smear campaign, the specific mention of his title in the communication between senior officials has created a significant legal and political headache for the EFF.
For the residents of Tshwane, the testimony provides a grim look at how their tax rands are allegedly being carved up by cartels. With over R10 million already paid out to companies that may not have even qualified for the work, the financial damage to the city is already substantial.
The commission is expected to call further witnesses, including representatives from the companies named in the "formal list," to determine exactly how Ngaphesheya and others managed to secure multi-million rand payments despite the cloud of suspicion hanging over the procurement process. For Gareth Mnisi, the "brotherly" ties that once defined his relationship with Fannie Nkosi may now be the very thing that seals his professional fate.
