Sean Bolhuis , the Tshwane Metro Police Department’s deputy commissioner for Training and Innovation, testified before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry on Wednesday.
“We were used as decent, law-abiding, loyal officials, both me, the Chief of Police (Yolande Faro), and other officials, because it (corruption) happened under our noses, and it’s shameful.”
The Security Tender
It had earlier been revealed that ad hoc security services meant for emergencies were abused to the point that at one stage, Tshwane had 43 ad hoc security services sites , costing TMPD millions of rand.
Bolhuis was brought in for his role as caretaker of the Asset Protection and Security Services (APSS) at TMPD from July 2024 to March 2025.
He inherited the now-controversial R2.9 billion security tender , TMPD 02-2016/2017, which included:
The Irregularities
The commission heard that there were irregularities in the assigning of new ad hoc sites, as Bolhuis had not authorised the addition of new sites as the acting head of APSS.
Bolhuis said that Director Tshikudu Malatji managed the day-to-day running of APSS, including the management of the security contract. Regarding the allocation of sites, Malatji was required to inform Bolhuis of any such allocationbut this never happened.
“While acting as a caretaker of the APSS, specifically during January and February 2025, I was not approached nor made aware of any ad hoc allocation of sites to any security company, including Gubis 85 Solutions , or any other service provider.”
The Co-Signing
The commissioners were concerned that Bolhuis co-signed invoices for security services despite the lack of purchase orders, to which he conceded. The irregularities were later flagged by the finance division.
The Self-Reflection
Evidence leader Advocate Teboho Mosikili asked Bolhuis whether he did his best to ensure that APSS was properly handed over to him.
Bolhuis said, looking back, it is clear that there are elements within the city and their department that use processes and mechanisms for corruption and wrongdoing.
“Once the ugly things come out, it’s not so easy to say you have done your best because you scrutinise yourself and think, what could you have done better? So, I’m a very hard person on myself.”
“Have we done our best? Well, I don’t think we have. Could we have done much better? Yes, we could. I should have personally done more.”
“It comes down to the fact that you trust people, and you don’t want to enter into a space with the immediate mistrust. If there had been any form of indication to us or me, I could have maybe put more measures in place to ensure that the system is very tight and that wrong things can’t creep through.”
The Bottom Line
A R2.9 billion security tender. Ad hoc sites added without authorisation. Invoices co-signed without purchase orders.
“It happened under our noses,” Bolhuis said.
The Madlanga Commission is exposing the rot. And the question now is who will be held accountable.
