Public Enterprises minister Lynne Brown has instructed Transnet to report irregularities identified in an investigation conducted by Werksmans Attorneys to the law enforcement authorities.
The investigation was conducted into the R54bn procurement of 1 064 locomotives in 2014.
The Transnet board decided that the investigation was incomplete and to refer matters pertaining to the procurement to the judicial commission of inquiry into state capture under deputy judge president Raymond Zondo. It also decided not to institute disciplinary proceedings against those allegedly involved in the wrongdoing.
In a statement on Tuesday Brown said the board "could not abrogate its responsibility to restore public and investor confidence in the company"‚ and that it had a responsibility to oversee the launch of investigations and disciplinary processes against allegedly errant members of staff.
"Eskom has been down this road of commissioning investigations only to claim they are indecisive or incomplete. It is an unsustainable strategy which adds to the weight of suspicion and negative sentiment about the company. Transnet must act on the Werksmans report‚" Brown said.
In January‚ Brown told parliament's Standing Committee on Public Accounts that if boards and executives of state-owned companies proved unable to do what is necessary to restore company credibility‚ their rotation was inevitable.
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