Suspended sergeant Fannie Nkosi continued with his testimony at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry on Thursday. He spoke about his role in efforts to resolve a payment dispute involving a Tshwane municipality service provider.
During proceedings, evidence leader Advocate Matthew Chaskalson said Nkosi assisted with having Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) Deputy Chief General Umashi Dlamini, and Tshwane CFO, Gareth Mnisi, pay a service provider, before questioning the necessity of his involvement.
‘Why couldn’t the CFO do it himself?’
Nkosi responded that he was helping Mnisi.
“Why couldn’t the CFO do it himself?” Chaskalson asked.
Nkosi replied that he had heard it over the phone while driving the CFO’S vehicle.
“I also became aware of the matter after hearing complaints from disgruntled suppliers,” he added.
He maintained that the CFO didn’t intervene.
‘Service provider was threatening legal action against city’
Nkosi told the commission he stepped in because the service provider was threatening legal action against the city.
“I was only helping the CFO with the frustration that the service provider was threatening to take the cfity to court. That’s how I intervened,” he said.
Chaskalson, however, pointed out that the TMPD had not processed the invoices, suggesting procedural shortcomings.
‘Intervention complicated things’
Further questioning from commissioner Sandile Khumalo probed Nkosi’s decision to involve Dlamini.
“Why did you involve General Dlamini?” Khumalo asked.
Nkosi responded that Dlamini worked in finance and could assist because he had the power to process invoices.
Chaskalson asked if Nkosi noted that his intervention complicated things as the conversation now had to be mediated through him.
Additionally, commissioner Sesi Baloyi asked who Dlamini was to Nkosi?
“Dlamini played a father figure role to me when I was at primary school,” he responded.
‘Didn’t see any problem with assisting’
However Baloyi remarked that Nkosi was an outsider and noted that the City Manager had ultimately taken over the matter.
She questioned the extent of his involvement, asking what his intervention was if the misunderstandings related to one invoice.
“Wouldn’t it be prudent for people who understand municipal finances to talk to each other directly, not you?” asked Baloyi.
He replied that he didn’t see any problem with assisting.
The commission continues to examine the handling of municipal payments and the roles played by various individuals in the process.
It also emerged at the commission that Nkosi had contributed towards a birthday celebration of a Tshwane MMC, and was given access to tender documents.
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