Tshwane deputy mayor’s R3m-a-month cash cow

A security company founded by Tshwane deputy mayor and ANC heavyweight Eugene “Bonzo” Modise rakes in around R3m a month from the city.

Triotic Protection Services provides guarding services at more than 20 municipal sites, including sports facilities, and is one of the metro’s biggest security service providers. Modise is also the ANC Tshwane regional chairperson and was appointed deputy mayor in 2024.

While Modise resigned as a director at the company in 2023 when he became a councillor and claims he sold the business to his HR manager, a forensic investigation found that he had failed to provide any sale agreement or proof of payment for the sale.

In addition, the investigation by Ncube Incorporated found that he continued to benefit financially from the company as it rented office space in a building he owns. Yet he did not disclose this and also did not disclose the alleged monthly payments he received for the business.

The report, filed almost five months ago, recommends disciplinary proceedings be instituted against Modise for his failure to disclose the information. However, it clears him of undue influence, as the company was appointed by the city following a court order in January 2022.

This followed a tender process where various security companies were identified but then not contracted, prompting them to institute court proceedings to force the metro to appoint them.

The committee has been given 90 days to conclude its work. Once completed, the committee will table a report with recommendations before the council for consideration and decision.

—  Samkelo Mgobozi, Tshwane mayoral spokesperson

A divided Tshwane council special committee, appointed this week following last month’s council meeting where the forensic report was tabled, failed to elect a chair, as members were not in agreement.

Some were in favour of an external chair being appointed to preside over the committee to guarantee fairness. There was also disagreement on the allocation of committee members between the DA and the ANC.

Following this week’s meeting, the Sunday Times has learnt that members of the committee will now make written submissions on these issues and the terms of reference of the committee.

An insider in Tshwane told the Sunday Times that Triotic made R3m per month from the city.

Tshwane mayoral spokesperson Samkelo Mgobozi told the Sunday Times the monthly payments to Triotic were not fixed amounts. “For context, as of January, payments to Triotic Protection Services amounted to approximately R3.2m, including VAT, for services rendered during that period,” he said.

“This is not a fixed monthly amount but reflects invoice-based payments linked directly to verified services rendered.”

Mgobozi said the special committee was already considering the report and would recommend a way forward for the council.

“The committee has been given 90 days to conclude its work. Once completed, the committee will table a report with recommendations before the council for consideration and decision.”

He said as the matter was “an internal council process under the authority of the speaker, it would not be appropriate to comment on operational details, including specific meeting schedules, at this stage”.

Triotic is one of two companies started by Modise that are in the spotlight for raking in millions by doing business with the city

Mgobozi said Triotic was one of the service providers currently extended “pending the finalisation of a new procurement process ... As of January, Triotic was deployed across a number of municipal sites as part of this broader arrangement, with deployments adjusted based on operational risk and service requirements,” he said.

Triotic also saw its sites extended earlier last year, becoming one of the biggest security service providers in the metro run by an ANC-led coalition.

Triotic is one of two companies started by Modise that are in the spotlight for raking in millions by doing business with the city.

The Sunday Times reported last week that Gofa-One Business Enterprise, from which Modise resigned as a director in February 2023, was paid R1.7m by the city for water tankers in financial year 2024, which delivered water to residents in Soshanguve and Ga-Rankuwa, northwest of Pretoria.

A Sunday Times probe revealed the entity is still registered to his family home address. Modise, together with his late mother Nelly Modise, founded the company in 2010.

Modise is also MMC for finance, a position that gives him significant influence over the metro’s spending decisions.

Modise opened Triotic in 2003. He claims that in 2023 it was bought by Neo Mafodi, who previously served as the company’s HR manager, in a deal which involved instalment payments. He said the company was also leasing a property of his in Arcadia.

However, the report noted that “despite formal requests, Mr Modise has not furnished the investigation team with documentary proof of the sale of Triotic such as a written sale agreement, payment schedule or valuation report”.

Modise did not respond to the Sunday Times’ requests for comment this week.

I am not involved in politics; I don’t belong to a political party. Why would I have interest in politics?

—  Neo Mafodi

In his response to the investigators, Modise said he had fully co-operated with the investigation, including availing himself for interviews, and that corruption allegations against him were baseless. He said even though the report noted that he had not submitted documentary proof to “back up his oral evidence”, the panel “draws strong conclusions” without testing his submissions.

“I [am] more than prepared to furnish the city with evidence of transactions of instalments to SA Home Loans,” Modise stated.

He criticised the investigators for not obtaining a report from Mafodi, who bought the company, “leaving key allegations unresolved”.

Approached for comment, Mafodi told the Sunday Times, “I am not involved in politics; I don’t belong to a political party. Why would I have interest in politics?”

Mafodi said the matter involving her company was an issue in the spotlight “due to the previous owner ... This [council process] doesn’t concern me … if you have any questions, speak to the relevant people,” Mafodi said on Friday.

DA Tshwane finance spokesperson Jacqui Uys, who has also laid a complaint with the public protector on the matter, said the DA “insisted” that the chairperson of the special committee be an external person and not a councillor from the committee.

“A vote will lead to a member of the current coalition chairing the committee, and this might have an impact on the fairness of the outcome of the committee,” Uys said.

A retired judge had previously presided over a special committee of this nature, she added.

“The DA wants to finalise this matter as soon as possible. We also want justice to prevail, and this decision is key to the desired outcome.”