Madlanga Commission | Irregular, unauthorised deployments flagged at TMPD – Faro

Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) Chief of Police, Commissioner Yolande Faro, has revealed that the department uncovered unauthorised and irregular deployments of ad hoc security services last year.

Faro testified before the Madlanga Commission on Tuesday, where she disclosed that embattled Tshwane CFO, Gareth Mnisi, requested the services via text message.

She told the commission that the department flagged concerns over the alleged irregular appointments, prompting the introduction of stricter controls.

Under the new measures, all City of Tshwane departments seeking ad hoc security services must submit formal applications with clear motivation for the deployment of additional guards.

Faro also revealed that Inspector, Lebogang Phiri, allegedly signed-off on the appointments, a move Faro says was inappropriate, as he did not have the authority to do so.

She further testified that following Mnisi’s request, Deputy Police Commissioner Umashi Dlamini sent an email, copying senior TMPD officials, requesting additional funding for 43 sites earmarked for ad hoc security services.

Faro said she subsequently instructed Deputy Commissioner, Revo Spies, to halt the appointments, citing a lack of clarity around their origin and warning they posed audit and financial risks for the City.

She claimed that a “witch hunt” was launched against her after she halted the appointments in March.

Faro said she was initially unaware of the ad hoc services, which Dlamini had justified as necessary for the additional sites.

Evidence before the commission shows TMPD relied on external service providers for these deployments, contributing to a budget shortfall of R91 million and triggering investigations into the handling of these tenders.

Faro said there were no proper procedures or controls in place when the ad hoc services were introduced, with internal watch services repeatedly raising concerns about the financial strain during budget meetings.

Faro further explained that when the ad hoc services were introduced, there were no proper procedures or controls in place.

She also questioned the need for the additional deployments, saying there was no evidence of increased criminal activity to justify them.

Faro said she requested clarity on the services and instructed Spies to investigate, a move she believes led to a smear campaign against her.

Faro also told the commission she was unaware that Sergeant Fannie Nkosi was allegedly interfering in procurement processes, adding that she had never met him and only became aware of him through his testimony.

She stressed that she has a zero-tolerance approach to misconduct.

“No one has approached me Commissioner Khumalo and I don’t think that no one ever will. They have never approached me since I started in October 2023. None of them have contacted me. I have met with nobody, on or off record. Nobody has contacted me to date and they will not contact me after today in terms of any procurement related issues when it comes to TMPD or anything which ought to assist with HR  related matters. I am under oath,” Faro said.

Faro added that TMPD’s internal affairs unit, led by Danny Minaar, has uncovered serious misconduct, with implicated officers facing disciplinary action.

She said both offenders and their supervisors are held accountable.

Faro emphasised the need for stricter vetting processes, calling for efforts to “clean up” law enforcement.

She also revealed that not all deputy commissioners currently hold valid State Security Agency (SSA) clearance.

Since assuming office in October 2023, Faro appointed three of the five deputy commissioners, Nomsa Nhlapho and Sean Bolhuis in June 2024, and Revo Spies in March 2025.

Acting Deputy Commissioner, Simon Motshwane, continues to serve pending formal appointment, while Dlamini was already in position when Faro joined the department.

Faro acknowledged that some officials are still operating without valid clearance, while others are in the process of renewing their certificates.

Faro concluded by noting that TMPD employs 3,625 officers, all of whom are required to undergo security clearance before being issued with a firearm or renewing their licences.

Written by: Odirile Rabalao