Tshwane governance under fire as CFO suspended over tender rigging claims

The City of Tshwane’s governance has been called into question following Chief Financial Officer Gareth Mnisi’s suspension.

Mnisi was placed on precautionary suspension on Wednesday following allegations of tender rigging at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry. 

He is also facing allegations of significant unexplained wealth. 

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Governance expert Dr Sam Koma highlights the failure of internal oversight mechanisms to detect these discrepancies.

“The Chief Financial Officer is supposed to ensure that there are no loopholes and lapses in governance, and that decisive action is taken when wrongdoing is detected."

Former Tshwane executive mayor Cilliers Brink explained that there are serious systemic issues facing the municipality. 

MMC for Finance Eugene Modise is also under investigation after being accused of benefitting from an irregular security tender.

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“If your political leadership gets a free ride, then can you be surprised if the officials who report to those political leaders act as they please?"

Brink said the city's failure to act on these allegations is a symptom of a broader problem.

"If you're not willing to take action against those who are implicated, then you're sending a message that it's okay to engage in this kind of behaviour," he said.

Korma emphasised the need for a more robust approach to lifestyle audits and background checks for senior officials.

"If you interview six people for any given position, I am now convinced that at least four of them have got some kind of connections to criminal syndicates.”

To listen to Korma and Brink in conversation with 702’s Bongani Bingwa, use the audio player below: