Several procurement items in the Tshwane Metro’s 2025/26 annual report relating to the 2026 State of the City Address (SOCA) warrant closer public inspection.
According to the report, Roadshow Marketing, a company owned by Arthur Mafokate, was awarded a contract of approximately R562 000 for “promoting the event”.
Mafokate is currently under investigation by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) for matters related to the National Lottery Commission. The same company has previously also attracted public scrutiny regarding government tenders.
It is difficult to reconcile a promotion campaign costing more than half a million rand with the near absence of any meaningful public advertisements of the SOCA.
A review of online platforms and social media found little evidence of a campaign justifying the expenditure.
In addition, the same contractor was appointed to supply promotional material valued at approximately R587 000 to the Office of the Chief Whip, as well as a contract of about R360 000 for the provision of “goods”.
To date, no satisfactory explanation of what these goods are and what they are needed for has been provided.
Another company, Rapole Holdings, also secured additional contracts for supplying promotional material, audiovisual services and bottled water for the Metro’s seven regions, with a combined value of more than R1 million.
Meanwhile, public procurement records indicate that Rapole Holdings was awarded contracts covering a remarkably wide range of government services, from delivering groceries to supplying ammunition.
This company’s director is Dikeledi Nonyane. This raises the question of whether it is the same person who was appointed as a deputy director in the Office of the Mayor. If so, the Mayor, Nasiphi Moya, needs to explain how any potential conflict of interests was identified, declared and managed.
These transactions raise valid questions. Municipal procurement must be transparent and able to withstand public scrutiny. Taxpayers have the right to know how every rand is spent and whether processes are free from actual or perceived conflict of interests.
The administration is expected to provide a detailed explanation of these expenses.
