Madlanga Commission of Inquiry witness Organised Crime Unit Officer Sergeant Fannie Nkosi testified at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry on Friday.
Image: Oupa Mokoena / Independent Newspapers
Sergeant Fannie Nkosi and the City of Tshwane’s chief financial officer (CFO) are in hot water after evidence revealed they sought to secure a government tender in the Matthew Phosa municipality in Mpumalanga, an entity that does not exist.
Testifying at the Madlanga Commission on Thursday, Nkosi attempted to explain why Tshwane CFO Gareth Mnisi was assisting his brother with tender documents.
Nkosi told the commission the paperwork related to a bid for the so-called “Matthew Phosa Municipality” in Mpumalanga, a municipality that does not exist anywhere in South Africa.
The explanation, instead of clarifying matters, exposed a deeper web of questionable conduct.
Evidence before the commission shows Nkosi and Mnisi were in frequent contact via WhatsApp regarding a lucrative security tender within the City of Tshwane.
The messages paint a picture of sustained efforts to position Nkosi’s brother’s company, Ngaphesheya, for success, despite the company failing to meet at least 12 mandatory bid requirements.
Even after the tender submission deadline had passed, Mnisi allegedly continued advising Nkosi on how the company could become compliant.
Confronted with this timeline, Nkosi insisted the guidance related to a separate tender in Mpumalanga linked, he claimed, to the nonexistent municipality.
“This project was merely meant for the Mpumalanga Matthew Phosa Municipality,” Nkosi said.
The name itself raised eyebrows. Mathews Phosa, an anti-apartheid veteran and senior ANC figure, is not the namesake of any municipality in the country.
The commission has since demanded proof that Nkosi’s brother ever applied for such a tender. None has yet been produced.
Beyond the documents, the relationship between Nkosi and Mnisi has come under sharp focus.
The two are not just professional acquaintances but friends who share personal interests, including shooting, travel, and a mutual passion for cars and motorbikes.
Nkosi admitted he had directly lobbied Mnisi to “open doors” for his brother.
“I asked him to check what the problem is,” Nkosi told the commission, referring to his brother’s unsuccessful bids.
But evidence leader Matthew Chaskalson put forward a far more serious allegation: that the two men colluded to secure a tender for a company that did not qualify.
The proceedings are underway.
kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za
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