UNATTRIBUTED

Mr Brian Padayachee's name appeared on a designation list before a meeting though he was not present at the meeting, which was considered odd.

“the name of Mr Brian Padayachee already appeared on the designation, although he was not at themeeting”

Mr O'Sullivan reveals that he was involved in events 14 years ago involving similar affairs and covered it up for 8 years.

“The reason I did what I did on the 6th of July is because 14 years ago, I was involved in exactly the same state of affairs and I went along with it and covered it up for 8 years”

The witness concedes that the cash taken was not their money but company money, which they took advantage of and used without proper authorization.

“To that truth, I do concede that was not my money to take. I am not saying, when I say petty cash, it was not my money, Chair. It was money belonging to the company, which I took advantage of because my thought process was I do not know how much I will need”

The witness travelled to Durban without making a hotel booking or reservation, and spent a large sum of money on accommodation and tolls without prior planning.

“So you leave Johannesburg not having made a booking or a reservation. You drive all the way to Durban, and even along the way you do not make a reservation. So you will basically see how much you spend when you arrive in Durban.”

The speaker was taken out of office at gunpoint, had tools, laptop, and gun taken, causing hospitalisation for two weeks; asserts willingness to assist Commission despite personal suffering.

“I was taken out of my office like somebody I do not know for lack of a better word , like a dog ... that thing is still a pain here and it caused me to lie in hospital for two weeks ... I want to assist this Commission”

The District Commissioner was requested to inform members to patrol after an incident over the weekend to inspect the office, but the first person on Monday failed to go down and check the office despite abnormal conditions, so someone else had to inspect it on Sunday.

“he requested the District Commissioner to inform his members to patrol ... he went there on Sunday. He failed to go down and double check ... Monday, he is the first person in the office ... he saw something that is not normal ... he does not go down and check ... so I did that”

Screenshots capture a chat between users identified as Alpha and another user, discussing urgency and pressure related to some operation involving containers.

“The above screenshot is a communication between two users, with one user Alpha mentions... 'When do we get this stuff' followed by the message 'I need to plan with people and the bosses are on my case'... The other user mentions 'Boss, this thing is going to kill us going to happen. I am telling you. This is a do or die for me and everyone there.'”

The chat messages reveal coordination about timing and arrangements for moving containers, with concerns over delays and security issues, and efforts to avoid inspections by Customs.

“Alpha: 'They give us the time and we arrange everything. The other truckers are already kicking their containers.'... The other user says: 'Boss, I know the guys are delaying, but it is not that they are failing. Inside everything is well sorted out. Just a small hurdle of final gate release... Alpha: 'Mate, I really do not understand this. Why are there security issues? They take in the containers for inspection. They are Customs. This is starting not to make sense to me.'... Messages suggest the user had people assisting with the release and did not want the container subjected for inspection, which suggests it contains something illegal.”

The Port Shepstone Organized Crime Unit known as Hawks was incorporated into the Port Shepstone DPCI where the speaker was the Unit Commander until 2013.

“Directorate for Priority Crime, DPCI, known as Hawks, the Port Shepstone Organized Crime Unit, where I was the Unit Commander, was incorporated into the Port Shepstone DPCI. I remained the Unit Commander at the Port Shepstone DPCI with the rank of a Lieutenant Colonel until 2013”

In January 2017, the speaker was seconded to the Crimes Against the State (CATS) Unit at DPCI headquarters reporting to Brigadier Xaba who was the CATS Section Head.

“In January 2017, I was seconded to the Crimes Against the State (CATS) Unit at DPCI head office in Pretoria, reporting to Brigadier Xaba. He was the CATS Section Head”

In August 2020, Major General Senona was appointed Provincial Head of DPCI KZN, at the same time as the speaker's permanent appointment as Provincial Commander of SOCI.

“Major General Senona was appointed the Provincial Head of DPCI KZN in August 2020, the same month as my permanent appointment as Provincial Commander, SOCI”

General Senona moved members around as part of his alignment of the DPCI KZN, including transferring a Colonel from the speaker's section to Priority Crime Specialized Investigation without consulting the speaker.

“One such instance was when he moved members around as part of his alignment of the DPCI KZN. Another example was when he moved a Colonel from my section in 2022 or 2023. This Colonel was appointed as my Section Coordinator... General Senona transferred the Colonel to Priority Crime Specialized Investigation, PCSI, Asset Forfeiture Investigations, AFI. He was moved without consulting me.”

There is an incorrect perception that the speaker is General Senona's 'guy'; the speaker denies any dealings with General Senona prior to August 2020 and says their relationship has been strictly professional and hierarchical.

“There is an incorrect perception that I am General Senona's “guy” ... However, I had no dealings with General Senona prior to August 2020. ... When he was appointed the Provincial Head, our relationship was strictly that of a senior and a junior colleague. I had never been to his home, and he has never been to mine. I have never socialized with him outside work”

There is a possibility that ad hoc service site visits were not verified due to staffing shortages with more than 500 sites but less than 10 monitoring personnel.

“we have more than 500 sites, right, for which my monitoring team of less than 10 people, right, is deployed. Chances of them not covering the scope”

At the beginning of the financial year, finance sections create requisitions and POs for the entire year even though invoices and deliveries occur progressively.

“At the beginning of the financial year, the finance section accounts payable, once the budget get loaded, they create requisitions, they create PO’s. I think I have given an example, for instance, we have a uniform tender. They will create PO’s at the beginning of the financial year”

The speaker states they recused themselves from handling a specific docket related to the Armand Swart murder because they were informed their name was mentioned in connection with the Tau matter and were under investigation.

“I simply recused myself from handling that docket, because I knew I was under investigation.”

A process to redo minimum-security risk assessments for all council sites was initiated, identifying a false need for ad hoc security services based on low incidents of breaches or attacks at sites.

“I already initiated the process where we started to do a reassessment of all sites ... there was a false need created ... there was no increase in breaches or attacks on reservoirs or water pump stations ... approximately six for that financial year.”

The ad hoc deployment of guards at 1087 to 1251 sites was initiated without prior risk assessments and involved unnecessary and costly deployment.

“The ad hoc was started, it was started on a need and ... when this stopped, immediate with the ad hoc, is that we immediately were already busy with risk assessments ... it is still not needed to have all of those sites actually protected in this serious manner of having guards ... which we are looking at, rather than deploying people to those sites at a massive cost to the city.”

The witness was not on the side of the National Commissioner and believes there are people fighting against this position clearly visible to all.

“he was not in the side of the National Commissioner ... people whom he believe they are fighting and it is clear for everybody to see what was happening”