Suspended Tshwane CFO grilled over external involvement in vendor dispute

Tshwane’s suspended Chief Financial Officer, Gareth Mnisi, has been taken to task at the Madlanga Commission for involving a personal friend in an internal invoice dispute between the municipality and a service provider.

WhatsApp chats presented before the commission reveal that Mnisi regularly interacted with outside parties regarding invoices submitted by Gubis85 Solutions.

The company had allegedly provided ad-hoc security services for the city, but claimed it had not been paid for over six months.

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Evidence led at the Commission suggests that Gubis85 Solutions may have received preferential treatment from the Tshwane Municipality. Furthermore, investigators are looking into allegations that the company filed invoices for work that was never actually performed.

When the company faced delays in payment, Sergeant Fannie Nkosia, a friend of Mnisi, reportedly took it upon himself to lobby senior municipal officials on the service provider's behalf.

Co-commissioner Sandile Khumalo pressed Mnisi on the appropriateness of this arrangement, questioning why a private citizen was allowed such access to internal municipal affairs.

“That somebody who is not employed by the City of Tshwane, who is not a representative of Gubis, is participating in all discussions relating to outstanding Gubis payments... Why did you consider that appropriate?” Khumalo asked.

In his testimony, Mnisi maintained that he did not share confidential information with Nkosi. However, he conceded that his judgment was flawed, admitting in hindsight that he could have handled the situation more professionally by not involving an external party in official municipal business.