By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The suspended Director of Asset Protection and Security Services (APSS) at the Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD), Tshukudu Malatji conceded that he failed to act on direct orders to cancel all adhoc service deployments.
This follows mounting concerns that the contracts were illegally awarded.
The instruction was issued by his superior, Deputy Chief of Police Revo Spies, to terminate the contracts immediately.
Instead, he continued processing and engaging on payments linked to the same service providers already flagged as irregular.
As a result, City of Tshwane incurred a R14 million expense. I don’t think you should come and sit there and say it’s an oversight. You must take full responsibility, rebuked commission chair Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga.
His testimony painted a picture of a breakdown in accountability at the senior level, where instructions were questioned, delayed, or simply ignored, with costly consequences.
The commission also examined a February 2025 extension of a broader security contract, signed by the city manager due to delays in appointing a new tender, which covered multiple service providers, including Gubis 85 Solutions.
Malatji told the commission he only became aware of Gubis 85’s involvement after the company complained about non-payment for services rendered to the City of Tshwane.
The private security company has come under scrutiny at the commission, with previous testimony indicating it received a disproportionate number of site allocations compared to other service providers.
Malatji said he was contacted by a company representative who claimed Gubis 85 had not been paid for seven months.
“I asked the caller as to which ad hoc services are you taking about? and how did it happen that you are involved in ad-hoc services and you do not get paid? Yet from where I am sitting every service provider involved in ad hoc services, which were processed procedurally and formally, are not complaining about payments because the ad hoc services are paid from the departments that requested those services,” said Malatji.
He said the caller indicated that the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) had undertaken to ensure payment following the company’s deployment.
Malatji told the commission that after the caller threatened to escalate the matter to the city’s CFO, he offered to assist in resolving the issue.
He testified that after the matter was raised, he engaged with both the company and DWS between January and March 2025 in an attempt to resolve the issue.
Malatji maintained that he had not been consulted on the company’s deployment and later discovered that discussions and decisions regarding Gubis 85 had taken place at executive level without his knowledge.
Malatji further testified that capacity constraints within the APSS division contributed to lapses in oversight, creating conditions for irregularities.
He also revealed that the City of Tshwane is unable to secure all its assets, with only 674 out of approximately 1,000 municipal properties currently protected.
Meanwhile Gubis85 Solutions has approached the Commission requesting sworn statements from witnesses who testified about the company.
The company said that upon obtaining these statements, they will provide detailed responses to each allegation made against it.
It argues that publishing allegations without giving them a chance to respond is “unfair” and infringes upon their reputation and the constitutional rights of those relying on their services.
Gubis 85 Solutions — owned by Gauteng businessman Calvin Mahlangu, has been under scrutiny at the commission. The company, which provides security services, was first introduced through the evidence of Organised Crime Unit Officer Sergeant Fannie Nkosi, who is currently behind bars.
Also, the embattled Tshwane CFO Gareth Mnisi’s legal team has requested a postponement of his testimony before the commission. The commission granted the request, with Mnisi expected to return to the witness stand on 17 April.