Former Transnet Chairperson concedes board acted irresponsibly by reinstating Siyabonga Gama

Editorial note: The wrong picture was used earlier.

Former Transnet Board Chairperson, Mafika Mkhwanazi, has conceded that he and his then-board members acted irresponsibly in their decision to reinstated former Transnet Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Siyabonga Gama following an inquiry which found Gama guilty of over 30 counts of misconduct.

Mkhwanazi denied that he was instructed by former Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba to reinstate Gama.

Mkhwanazi insists that Gigaba only asked the board to review Gama’s dismissal at the time.

Adv Myburgh asks: Mr Mkwanazi didn’t you decide to reinstate Mr Gama even before the advise, ” Chair it was just a consultation process without any final decisions” replies Mkwanazi#StateCaptureInquiry

— State Capture Commission (@StateCaptureCom) October 19, 2020

However, the State Capture Commission has heard that Gama was reinstated without any reviewing having taken place.

Mkhwanazi was responding to questions posed by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo via video link.

“At the time, the focus was on the procurement issues. It was an oversight on the board. At some point, Mr Gigaba and Mr Gama should both come and deal with these matters before the commission,” says Mkhwanazi.

Mkwanazi insists that Gigaba only asked the board to review Gama’s dismissal at the time. However, the commission has heard that Gama was reinstated without any reviewing having taken place.

“You and your board in effect said, ‘we want a CEO of a large division of Transnet who signs documents without reading them and thus places Transnet in serious financial risk. That’s the CEO we want. We want him to be reinstated.’ Do you agree that that’s the effect of your decision and your board?”

To this Mkwanazi, “Chairman, I agree with your comments, yes.”

State Capture Inquiry, 19 October 2020