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ANC MP Malusi Gigaba (right) and his co-accused at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
- Former public enterprises minister and current co-chair of Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Defence, Malusi Gigaba, was charged with corruption as the fifth accused in the multibillion-rand Transnet locomotive tender case, allegedly receiving undisclosed cash payments from the Gupta family.
- Gigaba joins former Transnet executives Brian Molefe, Anoj Singh, Siyabonga Gama and Thamsanqa Jiyane, who face fraud and corruption charges over the controversial R54-billion locomotive procurement deal.
- The case was postponed to 30 January next year for docket disclosure and indictment provision, with the matter set to transfer to the high court.
Former public enterprises minister and current co-chair of Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Defence, Malusi Gigaba, has been charged with corruption and added as the fifth accused in the multibillion-rand Transnet locomotive tender case.
“We added the fifth accused, Dr Malusi Gigaba, on one charge of corruption. It has to do with the period when he was minister of public enterprises. The State will allege he unduly received financial benefit, which translates to corruption,” said Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) spokesperson Henry Mamothame on Tuesday morning.
Gigaba joins former Transnet executives Brian Molefe, Anoj Singh, Siyabonga Gama, and Thamsanqa Jiyane, who were each charged with fraud and corruption related to the controversial tender for 1 064 locomotives that allegedly cost the government over R54 billion.
READ | UPDATE: Gigaba denies wrongdoing as court appearance looms over Transnet corruption case
The Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture found that Gigaba was instrumental in the appointment of Molefe as Transnet CEO, despite not being the highest-scoring candidate. Both were close to the infamous Gupta family and regular visitors to their Saxonwold home.
When asked why it had taken IDAC an additional five months to charge Gigaba, Mamothame said “the state had not completed its investigation”.
The charges relate to Transnet’s acquisition of locomotives between 2011 and 2014, with the State alleging that procurement processes were irregular and that costs were inflated to benefit preferred bidders, including companies linked to the controversial Gupta family, who are alleged to have scored billions of rands in kickbacks from the tender.
Mamothame said in a statement:
[Gigaba], on various occasions, allegedly accepted and received undisclosed amounts of cash from members of the Gupta family, which are corrupt in nature, and which he was not entitled to.
The Zondo Commission had previously recommended that law enforcement agencies investigate Gigaba for corruption and racketeering related to alleged cash payments received during visits to the Gupta compound between 2010 and 2018.
Gigaba and his co-accused were provided copies of the updated charge sheet during their brief appearance at the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court.
“The matter was postponed to 30 January 2026 for the disclosure of the docket, as well as the provision of an indictment, and a date for the transfer of the case to the [Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg],” Mamothame’s statement continued.
READ | Malusi Gigaba and state capture: A short history of Eskom, Transnet and Home Affairs
Gigaba was initially summoned to Palm Ridge on 7 November by IDAC to appear alongside his now co-accused. Still, at that point, he claimed he had not been informed about the charges.
Following their arrest in July, Molefe, Singh, Gama, and Jiyane were each granted R50 000 bail after surrendering themselves to the police. Gigaba, however, was released on warning.
Gigaba has continued to maintain his innocence. A statement issued on Tuesday by Gigaba’s lawyer, Ian Levitt, reads: “Our client maintains his innocence and will address the allegations through the court process, in accordance with the rule of law.”
