The City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality has entered one of its most turbulent governance periods in recent years following two closely linked suspensions tied to testimony before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, reports Pretoria Rekord.

The precautionary leave of Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Corporate and Shared Services, Kholofelo Morodi, followed by the suspension of the Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) Deputy Commissioner, Umashi Dhlamini, on Saturday, has placed the metro’s procurement systems and political leadership under intense scrutiny.

How it began

The sequence of events began when testimony before the commission suggested that sensitive internal municipal documents had been shared with a police officer allegedly involved in attempts to influence the awarding of a security tender.

In response, Tshwane Mayor Dr Nasiphi Moya acted swiftly.

“In the interest of protecting the integrity of the institution, while ensuring fairness to all parties, I have taken a decision to suspend the MMC for Corporate and Shared Services,” Moya said last Thursday.

Morodi’s removal from active duty was named as a temporary, precautionary measure intended to allow both the metro and investigators to examine the allegations without interference or perceptions of political shielding.

“The City of Tshwane emphasises that this measure does not constitute a finding of wrongdoing, nor does it imply any presumption of guilt. It reflects a principled commitment to transparency, accountability, and ensuring that all allegations are subjected to appropriate scrutiny,” said Moya.

The mayor simultaneously reassigned the portfolio to MMC for Community Safety, Hannes Coetzee, to ensure administrative continuity.

The allegations themselves emerged from testimony involving Sergeant Fannie Nkosi, who has been described in proceedings as a central figure linking municipal officials, political representatives and private security interests.

WhatsApp messages presented to the commission appeared to show Nkosi communicating with a wide network of individuals about tender specifications and internal processes.

These revelations placed not only Morodi but also senior administrative officials under the spotlight.

Among them was the metro’s chief financial officer (CFO), Gareth Mnisi, whose name surfaced in testimony due to what was described as a longstanding personal friendship with Nkosi during the period when Mnisi oversaw the awarding of major municipal tenders.

The commission is examining whether these personal relationships created opportunities for undue influence in procurement decisions.

ActionSA supports mayor’s decision

ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont publicly supported the mayor’s decision while confirming that the party had initiated its own internal disciplinary process against Morodi.

“ActionSA welcomes the decisive action taken by Dr Nasiphi Moya to suspend MMC Kholofelo Morodi, pending the outcome of a full investigation into the concerning allegations arising from the Madlanga Commission,” Beaumont said.

He added that the party’s Gauteng provincial executive committee had placed Morodi on precautionary suspension from party activities as well, emphasising that this internal step was intended to safeguard the organisation’s integrity while a formal investigation proceeded.

DA questions decision

While ActionSA rallied behind the mayor’s decision, DA caucus leader Cilliers Brink adopted a more sceptical tone, suggesting that accountability measures should extend beyond a single political figure. Brink questioned why other officials mentioned in testimony had not yet been subjected to equivalent scrutiny.

“These are fresh allegations against Mnisi, entirely separate from those previously raised by the ANC in February, and they justify a separate, independent investigation,” said Brink.

The controversy deepened when the TMPD confirmed that deputy commissioner Umashi Dhlamini had requested to be placed on suspension after his name surfaced during the same commission proceedings.

Metro police commissioner Yolanda Faro approved Dhlamini’s request with immediate effect.

Dhlamini, who was responsible for support and administration within the metro police, was suspended on Friday.

Moya publicly endorsed the decision, signalling the metro’s intention to apply similar standards of accountability across both political and administrative leadership.

Widening scope

The dual suspensions have highlighted the widening scope of the Madlanga Commission, which was initially established to investigate allegations of criminality and political interference within the national criminal justice system. However, it has increasingly uncovered networks of influence extending into local government structures.

Testimony presented to the commission suggested that a multimillion-rand security tender linked to the TMPD may have been the subject of co-ordinated efforts to shape specifications and influence the eventual award to preferred companies.

The presence of Mnisi’s name in the testimony has further complicated matters for the metro’s leadership.

As CFO, Mnisi holds ultimate responsibility for ensuring that procurement processes comply with the Municipal Finance Management Act 56 of 2003 and other regulatory frameworks. His alleged friendship with Nkosi has therefore raised questions about whether proper professional boundaries were maintained during sensitive tender processes.

Freedom Front Plus’ view

Freedom Front Plus councillor Grandi Theunissen argues that testimony before the commission pointed to systemic weaknesses in the city’s procurement safeguards and called for a comprehensive independent probe.

“Testimony before the Madlanga Commission Wednesday indicates a systemic breakdown of integrity in procurement processes that cannot be ignored,” said Theunissen.

He further suggested that the suspension could mark the beginning of a deeper exposure of irregularities within Morodi’s department, adding that his party had already submitted an urgent motion to the council to protect the integrity of the city’s procurement processes.

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