Suspended City of Tshwane CFO Gareth Mnisi told the Madlanga commission of inquiry that he met Sgt Fannie Nkosi when he was going through a “painful and hostile” divorce and found solace in him.
Mnisi took the hot seat at the commission of inquiry and explained how he met Nkosi, whom he allegedly assisted with securing Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) tenders on behalf of Nkosi’s brother.
He said he met Nkosi through a mutual acquaintance as Nkosi arrived on a motorbike, and it caught his attention because of his interest in motorbikes. He further confirmed that he had met Nkosi a couple of times.
“At the time, I was going through a deeply painful and hostile divorce, which placed me under immense emotional strain. I found Sgt Nkosi to be a good listener, and I found myself confiding in him increasingly, seeking his guidance and advice, relying on him for support in respect of the personal challenges I was facing,” Mnisi said.
“I felt that I could trust him and that he would not betray my confidence,” he said.
Nkosi is the alleged middleman between suspended police deputy commissioner Gen Shadrack Sibiya and alleged cartels.
Evidence in the form of WhatsApp chats has shown that Nkosi had sent Mnisi security company names during the security bidding process, which insinuates that he wanted Mnisi to help him ensure that those companies were awarded the tenders.
Among the names of the companies is Ngaphesheya Construction and Projects, which Nkosi said was owned by his brother.
On Friday, the commission’s chief evidence leader, Matthew Chaskalson, asked what the purpose of Nkosi’s sending him the list of bidders was.
“I believe his request was premised at the time on his mistaken belief that I would be able to check if the bids were compliant; he was, of course, wrong,” Mnisi responded, and further mentioned those tasked with the responsibility of checking the compliance of bidders and the process that needs to be followed.
“I wish to state on record that I did not assist any bidder with respect to the above bid [TMPD], whether directly or indirectly. I also wish to place on record that Sgt Nkosi persistently forwarded me names of two prospective bidders who were subsequently awarded as part and parcel of this panel.”
Ngaphesheya has, to date, been paid more than R2m despite allegations that it was not compliant when the tender was awarded.
Mnisi, at the time, was the chair of the bid adjudication committee (BAC), where he played an oversight role.
Explaining why Nkosi also sent him Ngaphesheya’s vendor number, Mnisi said that at the time, several suppliers had challenges with the city’s procurement process and that he had no problem assisting them.
“I had no issue to assist, as I assisted several other suppliers on previous occasions regarding the same concerns. For the benefit of the commission, I briefly explain: SAP Ariba is a procurement platform, which assists organisations in managing sourcing, purchasing, suppliers, contracts, invoicing and payments in one connected system, and it links buyers and suppliers through SAP Business Network,” Mnisi said.
“As is evident from what I state below, we all assisted in solving the migration issues, as the benefits to the city were enormous.”
Mnisi has been implicated in allegations of tender manipulation, where he is accused of assisting preferred companies to secure a multimillion rand tender irregularly.
He was placed on suspension this week pending the outcome of the city’s internal process.
Sowetan
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