Outcry over Transnet boss
Siyabonga Gama is at the centre of a probe into procurement processes at the ailing parastatal Calls for ‘sick’ teacher to pay back the cash
TRANSNET chief executive Siyabonga Gama is at the centre of a R1 billion tender awarded to German software company SAP after documents showed he asked the acquisitions and disposals committee to award the contract without tender processes.
In a memo dated February 1, 2017 from Gama he asked for a confinement of the tender from the acquisitions and disposals committee. Chief operations officer Nozipho Sithole signed off on the request made by Gama on the same day. However, Transnet denied any wrongdoing saying the contract was not awarded.
“The confinement process used in this particular contract was in line with the then procurement guidelines. Please note that the contract was a non-award,” said Transnet.
Gama was approached for comment but Transnet said it was responding on his behalf.
Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan has been cracking down on corruption in state-owned entities since he took the helm in February. His department said yesterday the new boards in SOES would review all the contracts there, including the SAP tender.
Former Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa chairperson Popo Molefe chairs the new Transnet board.
Public Enterprises spokesperson Richard Mantu said they would clean up the entities. “Mr Gordhan has appointed a new board of competent directors for Transnet and these appointments were confirmed by the cabinet on May 23.
“The new board, as part of its fiduciary duties, will be required to review the findings and recommendations of all forensic investigations/ reports to date into the affairs of Transnet and the details of any other suspicious tender or contract awarded by Transnet.
“The board will be requested to also look at this transaction,” said Mantu.
Transnet wanted the disposals committee to approve the confinement of the tender and not put it out on open tender. “Authorise the Group CEO to approve all subsequent relevant documents relating to this transaction and to conclude the process,” read the memo.
On the financial implications, Transnet said this would be done within the budgeted amount. “The original budget in the previously approved business cases of R979 million will not be exceeded,” it said.
It asked the acquisitions and disposals committee to approve the amendment to the original confinement of October 2015 after the expiry of the RFP (request for proposal).
The memo included briefing notes on the discussions of management with the acquisitions and disposals committee.
“The committee noted that while there have been delays in the project, management did not anticipate that the revised scope for the roll-out of the integrated system would exceed the approved R979m and four-year period, effective from the date
2015.
“Management further confirmed that the R979m ETC included an estimated R70m budget for training purposes,” read the notes.
At an annual general meeting with investors in Germany a few weeks ago, SAP chief executive Bill Mcdermott apologised for any irregularities in their dealings in South Africa.
He said they would correct anything that had gone wrong in their business. SAP has removed some of its top executives implicated in the dealings involving the Guptas in the country over its contracts with entities. SAP has admitted R100m was paid to a Guptalinked company for scoring it contracts at Transnet.
Gama had been with Transnet for many years, but in 2010 he was fired after the disciplinary committee found him guilty of alleged wrongdoing. However, he successfully challenged his dismissal and kept his job as head of Transnet Freight Rail.
A few years later he was appointed acting chief executive of Transnet after Brian Molefe went to Eskom in 2015 and he was appointed permanent head of Transnet the following year.
Last year the Sunday Times reported that Gama had spent two nights in Dubai and met Gupta lieutenant Salim Essa in February 2016.
Gama allegedly confirmed meeting Essa there but denied that the Guptas had paid for the trip, saying he had settled the bill himself. of approval in “PAY back the money!” say opposition parties in Kwazulunatal to the former Hopeville Primary School (Phoenix) teacher who pocketed R519 420 during her 1 522 days’ unlawful sick leave.
Despite being found guilty on falsifying a doctor’s note, Theresa Naicker was redeployed to the human resources division where she also reported for duty for only two days before going on “permanent sick leave”.
This was contained in Education MEC Mthandeni Dlungwane’s reply to a DA question in the provincial legislature about Naicker’s case.
The DA’S Dr Rishigen Viranna said: “On principle, she must pay back the money. But we are doing our investigation to ascertain when she started the unlawful sick leave so that she could pay back the money she earned starting from that point.”
He said they were still consulting with legal advisers on whether they should press fraud charges against Naicker.
The DA also wanted the two officials who recommended her medical boarding, which was rejected by Thandile Risk Management, consultants to the department, music.
Thembeni Kamadlopha-mthethwa, the IFP’S KZN education spokesperson, said: “If the department found that she falsified her sick note, then it must recoup the money the teacher earned while on sick leave during that period.”
Kamadlopha-mthethwa said Naicker should be axed from her new position at the department’s human resources division, saying: “It’s clear that processes were flouted everywhere when she was redeployed. We cannot allow it to happen that when people are found guilty of wrongdoing in to face the one department, they are then reshuffled to another department.”
The Sunday Tribune has learnt through sources in the department that one of the two officials who is believed to have had a hand in Naicker’s redeployment saga was suspended over a fraud case, not related to Naicker’s one.
Equal Education, a movement of pupils, parents, teachers and community members working for quality and equality in South African education, said it was weighing its options whether or not to press charges against the teacher.
Those who knew Naicker, who is said to be from Phoenix, described her as a person with very strong political connections in the province.
“That’s why, instead of being sacked, she was sent to another division within the department. She has very strong people on her side,” said one source who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Her former colleague, also on condition of anonymity, said: “I know her from the late ‘90s. She was one of the teachers who were untouchable at Hopeville Primary. She would brag about how connected she was with politicians in the province.”