Recent news
In December 2013, Transnet appointed nine black-owned companies to supply it with fuel over the following five years in a $1.5 billion deal aimed at promoting the South African government's black economic empowerment drive.
On 17 March 2014, Transnet's CEO, Brian Molefe, announced contracts of R50 billion with four international manufacturing companies to build 1,064 locomotives (465 diesel and 599 electric). GE would supply 233 diesel locomotives, CNR 232 diesel locomotives, Bombardier Transportation 240 electric locomotives and CSR 359 electric locomotives. Of the total of 1,064 locomotives, 70 would be imported complete and the rest would be built locally by Transnet Engineering in Pretoria and Durban.
The alternators of the first two diesel locomotives delivered to Transnet by China's state-owned CRRC Corporation, posed serious problems soon after they arrived in South Africa the previous year, rendering the locomotives unable to operate. Transnet is now refusing to accept a further 18 locomotives that are waiting to be shipped to South Africa.[10]
Transnet subsequently terminated its contracts with Brian Molefe and his successor Siyabonga Gama. A forensic report states Molefe misled the Transnet board into approving costs. Molefe and three others increased the locomotive deal by at least R16 billion to R54 billion. By late 2018, both were under criminal investigation.[11] The organisation fired Gama in October 2018 on the basis that it required a trustworthy CEO.[12] In June 2020 it was reported in the Daily Maverick that three senior executives (Nonkululeko Sishi, Lenny Moodley and Shulami Qalinge) implicated in facilitating state capture had been dismissed.[13] On 27 May 2022, Gama, along with four other executives, was arrested by the National Prosecuting Authority on charges of corruption, fraud and money laundering, and granted bail ahead of another court hearing in July 2022.[14][15] In September 2024 President Cyril Ramaphosa the SIU to investigate allegations of maladministration related to Siyabonga Gama's reinstatement as CEO of Transnet Freight Rail in February 2011.[16][17]
On 22 July 2021, Transnet experienced "an act of cyberattack, security intrusion and sabotage," that caused it to declare force majeure at several key container terminals, including its Durban, Ngqura, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town harbors. The Durban port handles 60% of South African container traffic. As of 26 July most computer systems had been restored, but Transnet's investigation into the attack's severity continued.[18][19]
