Dubious family relations: Suspended Sedibeng Deputy District Police commissioner Mbangwa Nkhwashu. Photo: Screenshot
The contrast between South Africa’s high levels of poverty and unemployment, alongside persistent allegations of corruption and graft, raises renewed questions about whether this is the freedom that was fought for.
A Competition Commission report on the cost of living found that utilities, food and education, continues to rise faster than general inflation, placing significant strain on households.
While commissions of inquiry are often criticised for failing to result in prosecutions, the Madlanga commission has nevertheless exposed testimony, suggesting that as the majority struggle, a small number of officials have benefited from public sector corruption.
Although KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s 6 July explosive media briefing focused on the alleged unlawful disbandment of the political killings task team, the Madlanga commission has since heard further testimony pointing to irregular procurement processes within metropolitan police departments.
At the centre of the allegations are senior police officials and municipal employees accused of working with criminal cartels to manipulate tender bid applications and interfere with case dockets. In some cases, officials found to have misconducted themselves face lengthy suspensions with full pay.
This week, suspended Sedibeng deputy district police commissioner Mbangwa Nkhwashu denied protecting Johannesburg Central Police Station detective Pule Tau from arrest in the 17 April 2024 assassination of Vereeniging engineer and alleged whistleblower, Armand Swart.
Nkhwashu told the commission that he had not taken Swart’s murder docket from investigating officers, Witness A and Witness B, and that while he had requested a wide-scale docket report, he had specifically refused Swart’s docket.
“I immediately called witness B and informed her that I actually do not want that docket,” said Nkhwashu.
Swart’s murder investigation in a R1.2 million Transnet tender scandal led to the involvement of the KwaZulu-Natal-based political killings task team, which was subsequently disbanded on 31 December 2024 while closing in on criminal cartels.
The Sedibeng deputy district commissioner was further accused of relaying confidential police information to one of the accused in Swart’s case, Katiso Molefe, who is allegedly a leader within the Big Five cartel and co-accused alongside Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala.
It was at Molefe’s residence on 21 July 2024, when the Gauteng Counter-Intelligence Operation clashed with the Hawks, during which a helicopter interrupted a search and seizure operation.
“I would never put my 39-year career and my freedom at risk for a man I had just met, who was married to my sister-in-law,” he said.
Swart’s docket eventually landed with the political killings task team, which jointly investigated the case with the Gauteng Counter-Intelligence Operation. The docket formed part of the 121 removed from the unit by Deputy National Police Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya.
This came after suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu sent a letter to “immediately disband” the task team to the National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola via WhatsApp.
Sibiya has denied any involvement with cartels and said he had been implementing the directive to disband the task team as the commissioner in charge of detective services.
However, Mchunu has said his directive made no reference to case dockets and that it was based on a police research study recommending the task team’s disbandment.
Mchunu has also argued that he was the first to alert Masemola to alleged irregularities in a R360 million Tshwane District contract awarded to Matlala’s company, Medicare24.
Twelve police officials, three company directors and police commissioner Masemola have so far been implicated and charged for the irregular contract.
Parliament’s police portfolio members have called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to suspend Masemola, while the police commissioner indicated his charges are part of a ‘fight back campaign’ by the cartels and those implicated.
Tshwane’s chief financial officer, Gareth Mnisi, evaded incriminating questions at the Madlanga commission this week and denied allegations that Sergeant Fannie Nkosi instructed him to prioritise certain companies for a R2.9 billion outsourced security contract.
Nkosi — previously Witness F — has been a key witness at the commission, accused of facilitating numerous meetings between Matlala and high-ranking police officials. He has told the commission that Sibiya and Matlala would regularly send each other messages via WhatsApp.
While on the stand, Mnisi was adamant that he maintained a close friendship with Nkosi and that the police sergeant had only sent him a list of security companies to check whether they were compliant with municipal bid specifications.
The commissioners were dubious about Mnisi’s explanation that he never shared confidential documents with Nkosi, who is not an employee of the Tshwane municipality.
Of particular interest to Nkosi was a legal dispute in R2 million unpaid invoices to Gubis 85 security company, a competitor to Ngaphesheya Construction and Projects, a company owned by Nkosi’s brother.
Mnisi said Nkosi overheard a call while they were together, in which a Gubis 85 director threatened legal action for unpaid services.
“Following the call, sergeant Nkosi clearly, as I discovered subsequently, took it upon himself to assist as he knew Deputy Chief Mr Umashi Dlamini of the TMPD [Tshwane Metropolitan Police Department],” he said.
Gubis 85, a long-standing service provider to Tshwane’s water and sanitation business unit, protected the city’s water infrastructure.
Its contract was contested upon renewal in a bid process involving Nkosi’s brother’s company, Ngaphesheya.
“While the matter was ongoing, it was subsequently confirmed that the outstanding invoices related to security services had been commissioned on an ad hoc basis by the city’s group water and sanitation business unit.
“It was this action that gave rise to the confusion and explains why TMPD was unable to assume responsibility for the outstanding invoices. In fact, there was a standoff regarding who was responsible for payment of the invoices,” said Tshwane CFO Mnisi.
Lebogang Phiri, a suspended TMPD inspector of the road policing division, told the commission that the water and sanitation unit specifically requested the use of Gubis 85 as they were already using their services.
Phiri said the city’s water and sanitation unit “refused to engage different service providers” and cited budgetary and administrative concerns. Phiri noted that Gubis 85 rendered R2 million of security services to the municipal department.
“Furthermore, the water and sanitation department had already made promises to Gubis 85 that they would commence work on the night of 31 December 2024. Gubis 85 personnel were essentially working and deployed to sites prior to me issuing the official deployment letter.”
Phiri was questioned about a R1.4 million Road Accident Fund (RAF) payment to his account in December 2024 and a subsequent transfer to multiple individuals. He said that after receiving the RAF settlement, he started a loan business for friends and acquaintances.
Alongside Tshwane, the Ekurhuleni metropolitan police department (EMPD) has also been implicated in the rampant graft.
Suspended EMPD deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi, notorious for allowing the fitment of blue-lights on Matlala’s private company vehicles, was arrested on fraud and corruption charges with suspended Ekurhuleni city manager Kagiso Lerutla.
Mkhwanazi denied allegations of running a “rogue unit”, which is accused of kidnapping EMPD spokesperson Kalebogile Thepa and the disappearance of R14 million in precious lithium rocks confiscated at a Rosebank raid.
Testimony has highlighted alleged irregular tender procurement, interference in case dockets and prolonged suspensions, suggesting systemic weaknesses in policing and municipal governance.
