The startling testimony that links Julius Malema to an alleged tender manipulation dispute in the City of Tshwane has shocked the Madlanga Commission since it has established a connection between the two.
The trail of WhatsApp messages that involved Sergeant Fannie Nkosi, Chief Financial Officer Gareth Mnisi, and Deputy Chief Umashi Dhlamini of the Toronto Metropolitan Police Department was given to the panel on Wednesday, March 18th. The texts give the impression that they expose political players, such as the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and ActionSA, engaging in back-and-forth manoeuvring in order to get lucrative municipal security tenders.
The exchanges started when Nkosi emailed Dhlamini the names of two security companies, one of which was Ngaphesheya, which was reportedly connected to Dhlamini’s brother. Dhlamini reacted by providing a list of seven businesses, indicating that they were connected to “red berets,” which is a frequent reference to the EFF. She also suggested that verification be done through Mnisi, which is reportedly connected to Malema.
After a few days had passed, it was claimed that Mnisi expressed his frustration, stating that he had been urged by both ActionSA and the EFF to submit five favoured companies. He referred to the request as being really offensive.
After the facts were made public, the Democratic Alliance (DA) grabbed the opportunity to argue that they reveal a more profound power struggle within Tshwane’s coalition government. Jacqui Uys, the Chief Whip, stated that the data indicates that there is political intervention with the intention of controlling public expenditures.
She also asserted that the infighting that occurred between coalition partners for access to contracts was the cause of the delays that occurred in the awarding of a new security procurement. As the panel investigates what has the potential to become a huge political scandal, there has been an increase in the number of calls for Mnisi to testify under oath.
