-Staff Writer Thu, 20 Nov 2025
The Northern Cape High Court Judge recently sentenced two directors of Defensor Security Services after being found guilty of fraud and contravening the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) and the Private Security Industry Regulation Act (PSIRA). The verdict was delivered on Monday, 11 August 2025.
The case stems from a 2017 security tender scandal involving the Northern Cape Department of Health.
However, former Head of Department, Dr Steven Jonkers, now a Deputy Director-General in another provincial department, was acquitted, and company directors Gert van Rooyen and Glaudius Peterson were convicted on charges of fraud and violating PSIRA regulations.
According to the Hawks spokesperson Tebogo Thebe, the directors submitted fraudulent documents to gain an unfair advantage in being awarded the tender, despite being the highest bidders. The contract, granted between August and October 2017, was initially valued at over R224 million but later escalated to more than R384 million.
The matter was reported to the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation unit in December 2017. An enquiry was opened and later converted into a criminal case in January 2020, leading to the arrests and subsequent court proceedings.
“The High Court imposed the following sentences:
Defensor Security Services (entity):
R1.5 million fine for fraud
R10 000 fine for PSIRA contravention, suspended for five years
Gert van Rooyen:
Six years’ imprisonment, with three years suspended, for fraud
R10 000 fine for PSIRA contravention, wholly suspended for five years
Glaudius Peterson:
Six years’ imprisonment, with three years suspended, for fraud
R10 000 fine for PSIRA contravention, wholly suspended for five years, “Thebe said.
Hawks Provincial Head, Major General Stephen Mabuela, has since welcomed the outcome, saying the ruling demonstrates that justice, although slow at times, continues to prevail.
“My appreciation goes to both the investigating and prosecutorial teams for their hard work,” he said.
News Junction (Gold Standard)