Commissioner Faro

Mr Phiri signed deployment notices on behalf of Commissioner Faro, indicating delegated power in that context.

“It was very clear on the face of it that he was signing on behalf of Commissioner Faro. So that is clear that it is a delegated power.”

Commissioner Faro was identified as the person to sign the service level agreement representing the City.

“you are identified as the person to sign the agreement or representing the City.”

Commissioner Faro did not sign or see the service level agreements before going on leave and was not presented with draft agreements before signing.

“No, I was not presented with this agreements ... No draft was sent to me ... I did not receive it ... The only time is when I came back from my leave ... I have not seen these service level agreement before it was signed.”

When Commissioner Faro was on leave, Deputy Commissioner Spies acted in his stead and signed the service level agreements without Faro seeing or approving drafts beforehand.

“He was acting in my stead ... I have not seen these service level agreement before it was signed ... The only time is when I came back from my leave.”

Commissioner Faro was not aware of the agreements before going on leave and relied on the legal department and CFO to draw up the service level agreements.

“you must know these service level agreement is drawn up by the, between the legal department and office of the group financial services, which is the CFO ... I did not see this ... I did not receive the service level agreement before I went on leave.”

Commissioner Faro states he only became aware that Elshadai had been appointed and that the service level agreement was signed after it was done, during his leave.

“I only became aware that Elshadai has been appointed and there is a service level agreement after it was signed.”

Commissioner Faro was not aware of the appointment of Elshadai before it was brought up at the forum, and he had not received the service level agreement beforehand to peruse.

“No, I was not aware of that. And I think, as I said yesterday, when the CFO is coming to this forum, I think those questions should be posed to him. I would prefer that is the case, because I am here to tell my side, and I am here to tell the truth. I have not received the service level agreement before hand to go through or to peruse.”

Commissioner Faro stated that he did not sign the security level agreement because the security tender was withdrawn and readvertised, and the current security tender is being handled since APSS returned to Metro Police.

“No, we, I did not sign because we only had two tenders, and then obviously we have the service animals one. But the security one, remember the security tender was withdrawn and re-advertised, and then this was the land invasion one. So I have not signed the security level agreement because that one, as you know, the only one that we are starting now since APSS came back to Metro Police is this one that we are currently busy with.”

Commissioner Faro has never had to sign any agreements in the capacity as Chief of Police since 2023.

“Yes, you have never had to sign any agreements in that, whatever agreement, as Head of Police ? No t that I ... Not that can come to mind now, Commissioner Baloyi.”

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.”

Commissioner Faro states that he would not sign documents without reading them thoroughly, and has been known to refuse to sign when documents are rushed to him without proper preparation.

“If I do not have time to read through it, I will not sign it, because what I picked up, people will know you are on your way out on meetings, because they are in contact with your secretaries and say, is the Chief available, and then if you want to go out by the door, they want to come with the documents. I have picked that up and I refuse to sign.”

Commissioner Faro does not know why there was a rush to sign the agreement especially when he was not in office.

“No, I would not know that. It can be a coincidence, or ... It can be because, but I do not want to speculate.”

Commissioner Faro has read and is satisfied with the agreements, and the Deputy Commissioner was happy with them at the time he signed off.

“Yes, I read through it. I read through the agreement, and the Deputy Commissioner, when he did his handover, he was, at the time when it was, when it was, when he went through it, he was happy with it.”

Commissioner Faro acknowledges that the Deputy Commissioner explained and updated him about what had been signed and done in his absence.

“So as I said, that he handed over to me, and then he did explain to me, and then obviously he had to tell me what he has signed, what he has done in my absence, so that I can be aware of it.”

Commissioner Faro was not a member of the controversial WhatsApp group related to supply chain management and only became aware of it recently.

“Unfortunately, I was not in that WhatsApp group. So it is come to our attention now.”

APSS only became aware of the investigation on 1 July 2024 and began their investigation at that time, despite the investigation relating to events prior to that date.

“And I need to just remind the Commission that APSS only came to me 1st of July 2024, and we have discovered that even prior to that, as I said, the investigation is vast, and upon it came to me, we actually became aware of it and we started the type of investigation.”

There is a need to study historical data, including previous tenders, to understand what went wrong and prevent future recurrence.

“we need to look at the history and historically in terms of even the previous tender and even the previous to look at it to see what happened that time as well in order for us to make sure what happened then, what now, and how we can correct it.”

Authority figures must adhere strictly to procedure and not allow actions to be taken just because of who the person in authority is; failure to do so leads to consequences and management action.

“because of you, remember you are in uniform, so if somebody of authority comes, you are supposed to check certain things. You are spot on with it. That is even that we picked up, that you should, irrespective of who comes to you in a position of authority, if it is that you must have A, B, C, D, E in order to do F, you should not just be because the person is in authority... You cannot use the excuse that somebody in authority came to you and even if the person say I am going to bring it later and maybe it never came, so you must just do that. We will have to do consequence management on each and every one.”

There is consideration of building in-house capacity for services, potentially appointing veterinarians directly to avoid external tenders and related corruption risks.

“Is it possible that I can maybe appoint a vet for the service animals? ... So the word for me is in-house capacity, then this, all these things will disappear ... I want two legal services within my office ... I can do that ... I have already recruited two very young Metro Police Officers”

The appointment of vets and other similar services can enhance skillsets internally and potentially remove the need for tenders prone to corruption and bid-rigging.

“I am just using the example of being a vet ... So we can just enhance your skills ... you don't need to have a vet on standby ... I was surprised when we went through the WhatsApp chat here to see that there are even tenders for the delivery of refuse bags ... If one sits down, a whole lot more could be removed from the tender system”

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 upliftment of funds for the R91 million deficit was recommended by Commissioner Faro as Chief of Police and Mr Mnisi as Chief Financial Officer, and approved by City Manager Mr Mettler on 2 July 2025.

“This is then recommended by Commissioner Faro as the Chief of Police, and it was recommended by Mr Mnisi as the Chief Financial Officer, and he had a comment that he added to say that the department... and it was then approved by the city manager, Mr Mettler, on the 2nd July 025.”

Chief of Police Commissioner Faro intervened by stating 30 additional sites must be stopped from increasing budget, calling the ad hoc security service irregular and instructing immediate cessation of ad hoc services.

“the Chief of Police, Commissioner Faro, also came in and saw this email and she started to reply... she stated 30 additional sites, I am not approaching anyone to increase the budget, this is irregular, Adhoc services must be stopped... stop all adhoc services with immediate effect.”