Nico Mathobela

Deputy Chief Dhlamini indicated that Nico was helping with the Mpumalanga tender and had been dealing with the documents and issues involved.

“As it was indicated, SC, that Nico was helping them with the tender of Mpumalanga. As much as I forwarded those messages to him, with those notes from Nico, when he sent to say it was sent on Tuesday, let me check now - now, because I sent him to say these are letters that Nico sent. I mean, they already have them, they dealt with them.”

Deputy Chief Dhlamini relayed information between Nico and Sergeant Nkosi but did not play a substantive role in the tender process itself.

“I did not play any role, SC. I was relaying the information as I was receiving.”

Deputy Chief Dhlamini referred Sergeant Nkosi to Nico for assistance because he did not want to assist Nkosi directly with the tender.

“When Sergeant Nkosi approached me, I referred him to Nico for assistance because I did not want to assist him.”

Deputy Chief Dhlamini denied acting as a conduit between Ngaphesheya and Nico or between Sergeant Nkosi and Ngaphesheya, despite forwarding information between them.

“I am not a conduit. I indicated that I had a relationship with Sergeant Nkosi that back dates some years back.”

Deputy Chief Dhlamini denies assisting Ngaphesheya and states he referred Sergeant Nkosi to Nico Mathobela for assistance.

“I am not assisting Ngaphesheya. I referred Sergeant Nkosi to Nico Mathobela to assist him.”

Sergeant Nkosi requested Deputy Chief Dhlamini to confirm with Nico whether the bids for Ngapesheya and Elshadai were compliant.

“Sergeant Nkosi , a day before , when I spoke to him , requested me to check with Nico if he has done compliance , he is done with compliance for the tenders of I mean Ngapesheya and Elshadai .”

Nico Mathobela assists bidders in getting their bids in order to ensure compliance.

“Nico , it is someone who does administrative work in terms of assisting people in tender compilations and so forth .”

Nico confirmed to Deputy Chief Dhlamini that the bids for Ngapesheya Security Services and Elshadai were compliant for the land invasion tender in Tshwane.

“Nico sent a message to me ... usually you will see my writing ... then I share the message , I edit and then read and add whatever that I want to add and forward .”

Sergeant Nkosi wanted to know from Nico whether the bids of his brother's company Ngapesheya and Elshadai, which is Mr. Hlatshwayo's company, were compliant.

“So Sergeant Nkosi wanted to know from Nico whether the bids of his brother ’ s company , which is Ngapesheya , and the bid of Elshadai , which is Mr Hlatshwayo 's company , were compliant ?”

Nico confirmed that the bids for Ngapesheya and Elshadai were compliant.

“Nico confirmed that they were ? ... Yes .”

Sergeant Nkosi asked Deputy Chief Dhlamini to assist Bheki with making compliant bids for two vehicles, related to land invasion.

“He said it was for land invasion. He said I must check with Nico Mathobela which companies did he prepare compliance for. The one of Bheki and the other one to forward it to him.”

Nico Mathobela was engaged by Sergeant Nkosi to help put together a compliant bid for Bheki.

“Sergeant Nkosi approached him to assist Bheki. I said I cannot assist I refuse to help. I said I referred him to Nico Mathobela to be able to help him with that.”

Nico Mathobela performed the function of ensuring the bid was compliant before submission.

“Nico had done what needed to be done to make the bid compliant. That was Nico's function, was it not?”

Nico Mathobela would have informed Bheki when the bid was compliant and ready to be submitted.

“And Nico would have told Bheki, okay, we have got everything in order, you can submit now.”

Sergeant Nkosi asked Deputy Chief Dhlamini on 25 March to find out from Nico Mathobela whether the bid was compliant to verify certain factors.

“But why then did Sergeant Nkosi need you in March 25 to find out from Nico whether the bid was compliant?”

Nico Mathobela was known to help with the administrative requirements of tenders but Deputy Chief Dhlamini would assist only if he knew how.

“This is a man who knows how to help with the administrative requirements of tenders, he will help you, I cannot.”

Nico Mathobela and Bheki together worked on the Ngaphesheya bids to submit a compliant bid.

“Then Nico and Bheki together work on the Ngaphesheya bids so that they can submit a bid that is compliant.”

Nico Mathobela would confirm to Bheki the bid was compliant and ready to be submitted before the closing date in October.

“Now presumably, before that bid goes in, Nico has said to Bheki, we have now ticked all the boxes, our bid is compliant, we can now submit it, it is now a question of price and BEE. That was Nico’s job, was it not?”

Nico Mathobela helped Ngaphesheya and Elshadai in compliance for land invasion bids, as confirmed by Deputy Chief Dhlamini.

“Nico informs you that he helped Ngaphesheya and Elshadai. To say the two vehicles for land are the following.”

Deputy Chief Dhlamini composed and edited the message regarding the two vehicles for land to send to Fana, based on Nico’s original message.

“I said that I edited the message and sent it to Fana. The message I got from Nico.”

Deputy Chief Dhlamini said preferred people meant people needed for demolition and he was checking with Nico which people he assisted.

“He said he needs people that, I mean, he preferred people for demolition, but he was looking for me to check with Nico which people did he assist.”

The mandate was given by 'Nico' and assigned to Victor, who is chairperson of the evaluation committee and BEC, related to the tender for seven companies.

“the mandate was given by someone called Nico. Victor is a chairperson of this evaluation committee. He is the Chairperson of the BEC and he has been given a mandate. Seven companies. Victor has been given a mandate to make sure that these seven companies get the tender.”

Mr Mnisi denies knowing Nico Mathobela and says he never had any dealings with him, nor met him.

“I do not know Nico Mathobela... I have never met him. I do not know him. I have never had any dealings with him, SC.”

There is no official role known by Mr Mnisi for Nico Mathobela in the award of this tender.

“No, I am not aware of any official by the name of Nico Mathobela.”

Nico Mathobela had no legitimate role to play in the contract related to TMPD-1 tender according to Mr Mnisi.

“Nico Mathobela had no illegitimate role to play in this contract”

Mr Mnisi states that Nico Mathobela is not an employee of the City.

“he is not an employee of the City, as far as I am concerned”

Sergeant Nkosi forwarded a message from General Dlamini containing a list of seven companies that Victor Kgopa, Chair of the BAC, said were under his mandate, which allegedly came from someone called Nico Mathobela, who had no legitimate role in the procurement process related to TMPD-1.

“Sergeant Nkosi forwarded you another message from General Dlamini with a list of seven companies, saying that these were the seven companies that Victor Kgopa, the Chair of the BAC, said were his mandate. And the mandate was alleged to have come from someone called Nico. ... Nico Mathobela was certainly not any person who had any legitimate role to play in the procurement process relating to TMPD-1.”

Mr Mnisi did not know Nico Mathobela or his role, suggesting that Nico Mathobela might be an outsider with no legitimate connection to the City of Tshwane.

“I did not know who Nico was, and I still do not know who Nico Mathobela is. ... I am not aware of him being an employee at the City of Tshwane. So as far as I am concerned, he might be an outsider.”

The General and Bheki Fana (likely the brother referenced) were involved in discussions with Nico Mathobela concerning tender compliance.

“And you will see that chat is a chat between the General, Bheki Fana... and Nico Mathobela.”