Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga openly expressed difficulty in accepting parts of the testimony of suspended Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) director Tshukudu Malatji.
The Madlanga commission of inquiry exposed gaps in Malatji’s statement regarding a controversial tender process.
On Thursday, Madlanga noted Malatji’s profound involvement from the outset, from assisting in securing a service provider to serving on the bid evaluation committee (BEC) and later acting as a contact person, yet appearing unaware of key developments, including litigation tied to the tender.
“Right from the start, you were involved. You were requested to assist, and that goes further because you became a member of the bid evaluation, and then later you were a contact person,” Madlanga said.
“Then there’s litigation. I find it very strange that when you were so intimately involved from the start, when there is litigation, you don’t know what that litigation is related to.”
Apparent contradictions revealed
Malatji, who has held his position since June 2013 and reports to the deputy chief of police, explained that the outsourcing of asset protection services was already in place when he was appointed.
He said he assisted a senior official in sourcing a new company, after which tender specifications were handed to supply chain management.
He was later appointed by the city manager to serve on the BEC.
He was pressed on allegations that an insider tipped off an external bidder about non-compliance, allowing corrections before evaluation.
Madlanga asked what weaknesses in the system could allow such interference.
“It could be several factors because as long as tenders are submitted in files like these and officials have access to every file, some documents could get lost,” he added.
However, further questioning revealed apparent contradictions.
Initially, Malatji denied knowledge of problems with the tender but later acknowledged that documents had been moved from municipal offices to the Tshwane Leadership Academy for evaluation.
Commissioner Sesi Baloyi challenged him directly.
“I want you to clarify that you were not aware of any issues in this tender process. Are you saying you never became aware of that?”
Security concerns
Malatji maintained his position, explaining that the relocation of documents was due to security concerns.
“There were reasons why the BEC requested that the documents be removed… that was based on security issues that the BEC had noticed before we could even start with the evaluation process,” he said.
He elaborated that the original venue was insecure.
“Officials were coming and going, which meant other documents may be at risk and the cameras were not working.”
Despite this, Baloyi pointed out inconsistencies in his testimony, especially regarding his claimed lack of awareness of allegations and court proceedings.
“You say you are not aware that this tender went to court because some documents were missing?” she asked.
“I heard that the tender was taken to court, but as to reasons why, I never became aware of them,” Malatji replied.
Madlanga highlighted the improbability that someone so closely involved would be unaware of the central issue in the litigation regarding the missing documents.
“And the litigation was about the missing documents, but that is the part you do not know. I do not even understand why you would want to be defensive on this issue; you did not lose any document.”
READ MORE: Fannie Nkosi tells Madlanga Commission he helped Tshwane officials
- Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga questioned suspended Tshwane Metro Police director Tshukudu Malatji’s credibility due to contradictions in his tender process testimony.
- Malatji was deeply involved in the controversial tender, from helping source a provider to serving on the bid evaluation committee (BEC) and acting as a contact person.
- Malatji initially denied knowledge of tender issues but later admitted documents were moved over security concerns, leading to inconsistencies about litigation awareness.
- Commissioner Sesi Baloyi challenged Malatji on his claimed ignorance of court proceedings related to missing tender documents, highlighting contradictions in his statements.
- Madlanga emphasized the unlikelihood of Malatji’s lack of awareness about key court litigation issues, calling into question his defensive stance on missing tender documents.
Justice
On
"Right from the start, you were involved. You were requested to assist, and that goes further because you became a member of the bid evaluation, and then later you were a contact person,"
"
Malatji, who has held his position since June 2013 and reports to the deputy chief of police, explained that the outsourcing of asset protection services was already in place when he was appointed.
He said he assisted a senior official in sourcing a new company, after which tender specifications were handed to supply chain management.
He was later appointed by the city manager to serve on the BEC.
He was pressed on allegations that an insider tipped off an external bidder about non-compliance, allowing corrections before evaluation.
"It could be several factors because as long as tenders are submitted in files like these and officials have access to every file, some documents could get lost," he added.
However, further questioning revealed apparent contradictions.
Initially, Malatji denied knowledge of problems with the tender but later acknowledged that documents had been moved from municipal offices to the
Commissioner Sesi Baloyi challenged him directly.
"I want you to clarify that you were not aware of any issues in this tender process. Are you saying you never became aware of that?"
Malatji maintained his position, explaining that the relocation of documents was due to security concerns.
"
He elaborated that the original venue was insecure.
"Officials were coming and going, which meant other documents may be at risk and the cameras were not working."
Despite this, Baloyi pointed out inconsistencies in his testimony, especially regarding his claimed lack of awareness of allegations and court proceedings.
"You say you are not aware that this tender went to court because some documents were missing?" she asked.
"I heard that the tender was taken to court, but as to reasons why, I never became aware of them," Malatji replied.
"
READ MORE: Fannie
