A senior Tshwane Metropolitan Police Department (TMPD) official came under heavy scrutiny at the Madlanga commission as questions mounted over his role in a controversial security tender linked to alleged irregularities in the City of Tshwane.
Tshukudu Malatji, director for TMPD’s asset protection and security services division, gave his evidence at the Brigitte Mabandla Justice College in Pretoria on Thursday, 9 April 2026.
TMPD security tender under the spotlight
Malatji, who has held his position since June 2013, told the commission that his division was created due to TMPD and the City of Tshwane lacking the capacity to protect their properties, assets, and personnel.
“When I was appointed as a director in 2013, the City of Tshwane was already outsourcing functions of asset protection services to external service providers,” the TMPD official said.
Focusing on the TMPD’s controversial 02-2016/2017 security tender, Malatji told the commission that the metro police’s former leadership initiated the tender process in 2016, intending to appoint private security firms to protect municipal assets.
He confirmed he helped develop the tender specifications before it was advertised and later served on the bid evaluation committee (BEC), which shortlisted 22 companies.
The process was derailed when the city cancelled the tender in 2017 after discovering irregularities, including the unexplained relocation of bid documents from supply chain management (SCM) offices to a private college facility, where some documents reportedly went missing.
However, three of the 22 bidders successfully challenged the termination, and the tender was ultimately revived and awarded in 2022.
Madlanga questions TMPD official
Malatji testified that he was never made aware of any irregularities during his involvement.
“Until today, I do not remember us or myself, as a member who participated, being called and getting informed about irregularities that might have happened in the run-up to the BEC completing its job and handing over the report and documents back to supply chain management.”
The BEC asked for the documents to be transferred from SCM to Primos because of security risks.
According to the TMPD official, the storage area was freely accessible to officials and lacked functioning surveillance cameras.
“Nobody could tell us who was having the key.”
Malatji also distanced himself from the legal dispute that followed the tender’s cancellation.
“I heard that the tender is in court, but as to reasons why it has been taken to court, I never became aware of those reasons.”
The commission’s chairperson, Mbuyiseli Madlanga, questioned Malatji’s claim, describing his lack of awareness of the litigation as implausible given his involvement.
“The cancellation itself was as a result of missing documents. That part you just happen not to know. I find that very, very strange,” Madlanga said.
Watch the Madlanga commission below:
“So you are intimately involved from the beginning throughout the stages, but just before evaluation, and all of a sudden you turn your back, and you forget about the whole thing. It simply does not make sense, Mr Malatji.
“And I do not even understand why you would want to be defensive on this issue [because] you did not lose the documents. This is very odd,” the chairperson continued.
He further pressed Malatji on why he did not track the outcome of a process he helped initiate.
“Don’t you want to see where it ends ultimately? It’s your bid.”
‘Something is seriously wrong’
Commissioner Sesi Baloyi echoed similar concerns.
“I find it very difficult to accept that you remained ignorant of the issues that are your tender when you had a direct interest in this tender being finalised and a security company being appointed.
“You must have known; you must have asked the questions; otherwise, something is seriously wrong,” Baloyi said.
But Malatji stressed that senior leadership neither officially communicated the concerns to him nor involved him in any discussions around the matter.
Malatji suspension
Later, Malatji confirmed he had been suspended for the past 10 months, pending a disciplinary process.
He said his July 2025 suspension followed a complaint by TMPD deputy chief Revo Spies, whom he reports to.
“Our working relationship is, therefore, not good. In essence, I feel like his aim is to ensure that my employment with the city is terminated.”
The TMPD director further alleged that Spies’ own appointment was an irregular recruitment process and tainted by corruption.
He also expressed discomfort at receiving a salary while not performing any duties.
“I’m very much guilty of getting paid for so long without doing anything to benefit the city and/or the community of Tshwane.
“I’m sitting here receiving a salary for 10 months without doing anything.”
Malatji told the commission that this was not the first time he had been sidelined.
Between 2017 and 2019, he was removed from his role without formal suspension but continued to receive pay.
“Back then, my heart was very sore, but I couldn’t do anything until I took the matter through a grievance process, CCMA, and I was awarded.”
Delays have, however, stalled his disciplinary hearing, preventing him from formally responding to the charges.
He has since applied for the case to be dismissed.
A ruling is expected later this month.
“We are going back on the 24th of this month. We will hear the decision then,” Malatji said.
