Eight senior Transnet officials issued with letters of precautionary suspension

Eight Transnet senior executives have been issued with letters of precautionary suspension resulting from past internal audit and forensic reports that were not implemented by management at Transnet, the entity said in a statement.

Transnet spokesperson Molatwane Likhethe said: “The decision to issue precautionary suspensions was taken after a realisation that reports done over a number of years have been piling up, with no follow-up. The impression has thus been created that forensic reports findings were only followed up to selected employees.”

Likhethe added that Transnet had sought an external support service to conclude and finalise recommendations made these reports in order to ensure equity and fairness to all affected.

In the statement, Transnet acting chief executive Tau Morwe said: “The letters were issued to senior executives ranging from general managers and executive managers who were implicated in reports dating as far back as 2011.

“Recommendations emanating from the reports were not followed up by the management. We have been receiving anonymous complaints from employees about some of the allegations covered in the reports.”

The senior executives have been given 48 hours to respond and give reasons as to why they should not be suspended.

The entity said detailed charges could only be shared once all investigations had been concluded.

“This is all being done pursuant to the objective of ensuring good corporate governance and restorations of the integrity of the company. The suspensions are being handled in an open and transparent manner, and the rights of affected employees respected.”

In January, the chairperson of the Transnet board, Popo Molefe, announced that former CEO Brian Molefe and former CFO Anoj Singh, along with other former top executives, were issued with a summons.

The summons is an effort by the entity’s board to recover an estimated R1.3 billion allegedly looted during Molefe and Singh’s tenure.

Former Transnet chief executive Siyabonga Gama, who succeeded Molefe, was among those who were summoned.

(Compiled by Makhosandile Zulu)

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