Suspended Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) officer for road policing, Maj Lebogang Phiri, said in May 2025 he received a R150,000 “loan” from William Mashupye, an employee of a company that was awarded security tenders by the municipality.
Phiri was testifying at the Madlanga commission probing allegations of criminal infiltration in law enforcement on Thursday and denied the money from Mashupye was a form of gratification.
He is facing allegations of approving contracts to a security company without approval from his superiors.
Phiri faces allegations of appointing security company Gubis85 Solutions to guard Tshwane metro reservoirs in January 2025 without approval from his bosses.
The company had a security tender with Tshwane, but Phiri approved additional contracts to Gubis85 amounting to millions of rand when the metro infrastructure was vandalised.
The commission combed through his bank statements to test whether he ever received any form of gratification from companies rendering services to the metro.
Phiri, in his evidence-in-chief, denied receiving gratification from the companies and further denied he signed appointment letters to Gubis85 without approval from his boss, Tshukudu Malatji.
His bank records showed Mashupye, through his company Kgabotjie Logistics, paid him R150,000 in May 2025.
Mashupye is an employee of Gubis85.
Phiri told the commission Mashupye was his friend and loaned him R150,000. He conceded he knew Mashupye had links with Gubis85 and asked for the loan despite knowing he was linked to the municipality’s service provider.
Phiri told the commission he paid Mashupye back in cash and could not provide proof to the commission he paid his friend back.
“He asked me to pay him in cash,” he said.
Phiri described himself and Mashupye as part of a group of “professional gamblers” when explaining why he paid him in cash. There were more funds exchanged between the two, which Phiri described as loans.
Phiri signed deployment letters for Gubis85 to guard infrastructure in January 2025. The contracts were cancelled in July 2025 by TMPD deputy commissioner Revo Spies after identifying irregularities.
Phiri told the commission his superiors approved the deployment and he was merely following instructions.
Gubis85 was the only service provider given the additional contracts despite the metro having several companies rendering the services.
“I am not responsible for the generation or creation of purchase orders, that is the sole responsibility of the water and sanitation department or TMPD finance department. I have been made aware of inferences suggesting that I may have favoured Gubis85 Solutions or received incentives for channeling work to them. I categorically deny these allegations. I executed my duties strictly pursuant to instruction,” he said.
Phiri’s bank records show he further loaned more than R1m to another service provider linked to Tshwane.
“I received a lump sum of R1.5m from my attorneys for an RAF settlement. Immediately after that I started loaning a portion to my friends and family, but my intentions were to settle the house immediately after payment but I saw opportunity to grow the money … investing it,” he said.
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