‘What a farce’: Gigaba reacts to being implicated in Brian Molefe’s Transnet appointment

Former public enterprises minister Malusi Gigaba has again taken a shot at acting chief justice Raymond Zondo, this time for alleging that he was involved in appointing Brian Molefe as a director at Transnet. 

In the second part of the state capture inquiry report, handed over to President Cyril Ramaphosa this week, Gigaba was said to have been involved in appointing Molefe and Anoj Singh as directors at the rail company. 

“Mr Malusi Gigaba was involved in the appointment of Mr Molefe and Mr Singh as directors of Transnet, and in the reinstatement of Mr [Siyabonga} Gama as the CEO of Transnet Freight Rail,” said the report. 

The report said this allowed Gupta ally Iqbal Sharma "free reign" as chair of the agency’s board acquisitions and disposals committee. “These appointments were followed by the award of significant contracts that benefited the Gupta enterprise,” it said. 

Taking to Twitter, Gigaba denied his involvement in Molefe's appointment, suggesting that Zondo was accusing him of something done by Ramaphosa.

During his appearance at the inquiry last year, Ramaphosa said he recommended that Zuma appoint Molefe as CEO of Eskom in 2015 after he had served as CEO of Transnet.

Zondo instructed law enforcement agencies to investigate and possibly charge former Transnet executives and Gigaba with corruption and racketeering.

The Transnet executives include Molefe and Gama, former finance heads Singh and Garry Pita, and engineering chief Thamsanqa Jiyane.

Reacting to the release of the report earlier this week, Gigaba said Zondo intended to “kill” him politically.

Gigaba claimed that three years and R1bn later, Zondo had found no evidence to warrant a recommendation that he be charged with corruption.

“Instead of clearing me, he asks that I be investigated more in the hope this will kill me politically. If only he and his handlers knew,” said Gigaba.