Metro Police

On the day in question of the February 2020 bust, Warrant Officer Sander was contacted by a senior colleague from the SARS customs narcotics section about irregularities involving Mandrax being moved at the CHC Depot and he asked Metro Police Captain Greg Beavon for assistance.

“One of their seniors phoned me and he said he has got an issue ... there was an amount of Mandrax found at CHC Depot ... irregularities ... I called a colleague from the Metro Police, Captain Greg Beavon ... can you help me?”

Since joining in 2002/2003, the Metro Police have conducted operations outside the City of Ekurhuleni in various municipalities and provinces, including crime prevention and traffic law enforcement activities.

“I have touched the operation that we have been doing since the inception of the Metro Police. When I joined in 002/2003, I was operational. We have been doing operations with other cities, outside the cities, outside the City of Ekurhuleni, in different municipalities, not even in different municipalities only, outside the province, tracing wanted suspects, joining joint operations, doing crime prevention operations. Also, jointly doing traffic law enforcement”

Asset Protection Unit was returned to Metro Police which has its own finance section handling contracts and service providers like Watchman Services, distinct from other departments.

“AP S has been returned back to Metro Police and it is common knowledge that Metro Police, not like other departments, have their own finance section because we do deal with contracts and service providers like the Watchman Services and others.”

The budget upliftment process starts in the department, not the CFO, but requires CFO consultation and approval before funds are released.

“When you do upliftment, it is not a process started by the CFO. It is a process you start in the department. We consult with the CFO... The Chief recommends, CFO recommends, it goes to the City Manager and is signed off.”

There might have been a long-standing process of manipulating systems, which could have been for financial gain or corruption, possibly ongoing even before the function returned to the Metro Police.

“...there could have been a long-standing process of manipulating whatever systems is in place, or lack of systems, for that matter. Whether that was for financial gain or for corruption... It could be that the systemic rot and corruption has been going on for quite some time, even before the function was returned to the Metro Police...”

Commissioner Faro denies having knowledge or being involved in the agreements related to service level agreements with million rand values, asserting that the processes after Metro Police's involvement fall under the department of Supply Chain Management.

“I do not agree with that statement. As I said, the processes after Metro Police's involvement stops, it is solely in the department of Supply Chain Management. Unless we are going to, maybe through this Commission, then change where there is gaps. If it is not the case that your involvement is therefore drawing up SLA’s and assisting with the SLA’s, and you get a meeting request to be there, and you get the involvement where you must actually, here is the successful bidder, so you can have a question and answer before the service level agreement comes to your table. It cannot be said, if you are not being said you must be involved, or that you are not involved, that you have failed. I do not agree with that statement.”

Senior management of the Metro Police should be vetted; Sean Bolhuis immediately avails himself for vetting as required in his position dealing with sensitive information.

“In the Metro Police itself, I am a deputy Chief of Police. It is imperative that your senior management of the Metro Police should be, must be vetted. If I had a way to force it through, I would, as I am also the chief of staff, which I will explain later. But it is cumbersome for me to think, and I will not mention names, that certain senior officials refuse to get themselves vetted. I immediately avail myself for vetting because it is required of me in my position when I deal with sensitive information.”

There is an ongoing issue with certain senior officials refusing to undergo vetting both internally in the Metro Police department and in the City of Tshwane.

“Certain senior officials refuse to get themselves vetted. ... That is a matter that we are still addressing within the department and in the city.”

Between 15 April 2021 and the transfer of the function back to Metro Police, there was no serious attempt or plan to fill the vacancies in the approved structure.

“from 15 April 2021 up to the point where this function was transferred back to the Metro Police that there was no, I cannot say no, I do not know, there was not a serious attempt and project in place, plan in place to fill the vacancies of this approved structure”

The Metro Police has additional vacancies but many will remain unfunded due to lack of automatic budget provision, leading to audit queries if vacant positions are not filled or removed.

“Now this is moved back to the Metro Police. Now the Metro Police sit with all these additional vacancies... Most of these vacancies will then be unfunded. Why? Because there would not automatically be a budget in place to fill it... it becomes an audit query.”

The approved organizational structure for the Metro Police at that time was not feasible, practical, or funded, requiring total restructuring likely with fewer positions due to financial constraints.

“The structure that we have received, yes approved at that time, still approved because it is still on the structure, approved structure, is not a feasible structure for the Metro Police. It is not implementable. It is not practical. It is not funded. We are restructuring that process totally and it will probably be a lesser number because we are not in a financial situation...”

Commissioner Bolhuis is responsible for training, innovation, research, analytics, and information management for the Metro Police department.

“Responsibilities as the Deputy Chief, training and innovation are mainly responsible for the Team PD Academy, where we train Metro Police officers, traffic wardens, other officials, as per our academy curriculum. I am further responsible for police innovation, which includes research, analytics, and information management for the department.”

The Asset Protection Unit was moved from the City Manager's Office to the Metro Police on 1 July 2024 and became a division within the Metro Police called Asset Protection and Security Services.

“this specific division that I am in charge of was created and started in the structure 1 July 2024. The Asset Protection Unit was then moved from the City Manager's Office to the Metro Police in the new division. It was originally a unit and it is now a division, Asset Protection and Security Services”

The tender for security services was due to expire on 28 February 2025; a new process to replace the existing tender was initiated internally in August 2024 and registered in November 2024 as tender TMPD 3/2425.

“it was discovered that this tender would expire in 28 February 2025. So a new process to replace this existing tender was initiated already in August internally in the department, but in November 2024 this tender was then registered with a contract number of TMPD 3/2425”

The extension of the security tender TMPD 2/2016/17 was approved to supply physical security guarding services on a month-to-month basis from 1 March 2025 to 30 June 2025 to protect assets and personnel of the City of Tshwane.

“the Tswhane Metro Police Department is requesting for the approval for the extension of the security tender TMPD 2/2016 17 for the supply of physical security guarding services to protect the property assets and personnel of the City of Tshwane on a month-to-month basis for a period not exceeding four months with effect from 1 March 2025 to 30 June 2025”

A subordinate who was previously a captain or colonel in SAPS disrespected the witness by claiming higher rank because he was a commissioned officer, but the witness clarified that he was not a commissioned officer and belongs to Metro Police.

“he opened the discussion completely disrespectful towards me, stating that he has got a higher rank than me because he is a commissioned officer and I am not a commissioned officer... I stated to him, it is true that I am not a commissioned officer because I am not in the South African Police Service, we are in the Metro Police”

The Asset Protection Service (APS) has limited personnel, with only seven regional supervisors, and the department through Commissioner Faro deployed 54 Metro Police officers to conduct random site visits and inspections on a shift basis, ensuring compliance via penalty clauses if security guards do not meet requirements such as proper uniform or PSIRA appointment cards.

“in APS is the asset protection... Commissioner Faro, we have decided to deploy 54 Metro Police officers to the same functions... as per shift basis, that they actually visit all sites and the sites are randomly visited and OB entries are made... there is a penalty clauses if there is non-compliance... if a security guard does not have uniform or security guard does not have a PSIRA appointment card... there is penalty clauses that is being levied”

The internal affairs head of Metro Police, Brigadier Minnaar, appointed Freddy Chauke from internal affairs to investigate a matter, but Chauke could not conclude the investigation due to its technical nature and inability to obtain internal evidence.

“Brigadier Minnaar appointed Freddy Chauke from the internal affairs section to do the investigation and then at a much later stage , about a month later , Mr Chauke approached me formally and said to me that he can not conclude this investigation . He has done a lot of legwork , but he could not conclude it as it is extremely technical . He also can not obtain internal evidence and more evidentiary proof .”