Suspended City of Tshwane chief financial officer Gareth Mnisi came under scrutiny at the Madlanga commission on Monday for his handling of a suspected fraudulent letter allegedly linked to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation.
This raised questions about his adherence to proper protocols and governance procedures.
During testimony, Mnisi (36) defended his decision to share the letter with a police officer, Sgt Fannie Nkosi, rather than reporting the matter through formal channels.
‘It was a fake letter’
The letter, purportedly from the Hawks, was later described by Mnisi as fake and fraudulent.
However, commissioner Sandile Khumalo repeatedly questioned why Nkosi, who had no official role in the matter, was consulted at all.
“What business does Sgt Nkosi have with it?” Khumalo asked.
Mnisi maintained that he identified the letter as fraudulent upon analysis but sought Nkosi’s advice to test its legitimacy and determine how to proceed.
He further admitted that he had not formally reported the attempted fraud to the South African Police Service, even two years after the incident.
Mnisi contradicts himself
The exchange exposed contradictions in Mnisi’s account.
While insisting he immediately recognised the letter as fake, he acknowledged sending a draft response to Nkosi for review.
Mnisi later clarified that the communication was an email and not an official municipal statement from the city.
“It was not a letter, it was an email and it had a signature. I was saying did I cover the contents correctly, this is not an official statement from the city,” said Mnisi.
Khumalo asked if Mnisi ever reported the attempted fraud.
“Officially no, I was overtaken by events and the individuals disappeared.”
‘No protocol followed’
Commissioner Sesi Baloyi also challenged Mnisi’s actions, questioning why he bypassed the city’s internal investigative and legal structures.
“You do not lay a complaint with the SAPS but you call your friend to help you with a City of Tshwane matter,” she said.
“You have been saying you follow protocol, was this following protocol?” asked Baloyi.
Mnisi argued that internal investigators could not handle what he viewed as an external matter and that he sought guidance on how to escalate it within police structures.
“Internal investigators cannot investigate external investigations. I needed to ensure that I find processes in place to escalate this accordingly within the SAPS structures.”
He conceded, however, that his engagement with Nkosi did not amount to formally reporting the case.
Reflecting on his testimony, Mnisi acknowledged shortcomings in his handling of the matter.
“I can assure you that errors of this nature will never reoccur,” he said.
- Suspended Tshwane CFO Gareth Mnisi faced scrutiny at the Madlanga commission for mishandling a suspected fraudulent letter linked to the Hawks.
- Mnisi admitted the letter was fake but shared it with a police officer, Sgt Fannie Nkosi, bypassing formal reporting channels.
- Commissioners questioned Mnisi’s protocol adherence, noting he did not formally report the fraud to the South African Police Service even after two years.
- Mnisi defended his actions by stating internal investigators couldn’t handle external investigations and sought informal police guidance instead.
- He acknowledged errors in his approach and pledged such mistakes would not happen again.
However, commissioner
"What business does Sgt
Mnisi maintained that he identified the letter as fraudulent upon analysis but sought
He further admitted that he had not formally reported the attempted fraud to the
While insisting he immediately recognised the letter as fake, he acknowledged sending a draft response to
Mnisi later clarified that the communication was an email and not an official municipal statement from the city.
"It was not a letter, it was an email and it had a signature. I was saying did I cover the contents correctly, this is not an official statement from the city," said Mnisi.
"Officially no, I was overtaken by events and the individuals disappeared."
Commissioner Sesi Baloyi also challenged Mnisi’s actions, questioning why he bypassed the city’s internal investigative and legal structures.
"You do not lay a complaint with the SAPS but you call your friend to help you with a City of
"You have been saying you follow protocol, was this following protocol?" asked Baloyi.
Mnisi argued that internal investigators could not handle what he viewed as an external matter and that he sought guidance on how to escalate it within police structures.
"Internal investigators cannot investigate external investigations. I needed to ensure that I find processes in place to escalate this accordingly within the SAPS structures."
He conceded, however, that his engagement with
"I can assure you that errors of this nature will never reoccur," he said.
