City of Tshwane deputy mayor Eugene Modise will have his salary docked for two months after failing to declare his interests in a company trading with the city.
- Tshwane deputy mayor Eugene Modise’s salary will be docked for two months for failing to declare interests in a business trading with the city.
- Modise was linked to a company that benefitted from a flagged R2.9 billion security tender, but he claims he sold his interest before becoming a councillor.
- City manager Johann Mettler confirmed disciplinary action, including the suspension of CFO Gareth Mnisi for noncompliance with supply chain requirements.
City of Tshwane deputy mayor Eugene Modise will have his salary docked for two months after failing to declare his interests in a company trading with the city.
City manager Johann Mettler confirmed this to Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) on Tuesday.
Interestingly, Modise was absent from the meeting after having apologised.
Modise, who also doubles as ANC Tshwane regional chairperson, came under scrutiny following an independent forensic investigation that found he benefitted from a company linked to a controversial R2.9-billion security tender.
The tender, awarded to 22 companies in 2022 to provide security services for municipal assets, had previously been flagged as irregular.
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One of the companies, Triotic Protection Services, is linked to Modise, who maintains he sold his interest just before becoming a councillor.
The same network of companies has also come under scrutiny at the Madlanga Commission.
“As far as Triotic security is concerned, there was a forensic investigation that was authorised by the Speaker, in this regard, and the upshot of that forensic investigation was that there was a finding that the deputy mayor was receiving an indirect benefit from this company in that the company was renting property of which he was the owner, and that was not declared,” Mettler said.
Mettler said this happened before Modise became a councillor, with the investigation finding that he was, in fact, a director, “but during the course of his being a [councillor], he was not a director, in terms of the public records dealing with company registration”.
For this, Modise’s salary will be docked.
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Criminality in the capital city has been at the centre of discussion at the Madlanga Commission. Mettler said they had zoomed in on what happened in the city’s supply chain management.
“We have identified certain instances of what we consider to be serious noncompliance, and the council has been acting in terms of the disciplinary regulations against the CFO [Gareth Mnisi], and he is currently on precautionary suspension, and he has to be charged within 90 days,” Mettler said.
He said the charges would be finalised within that timeframe.
Mnisi was placed on precautionary suspension on 15 April.
