EFF STATEMENT ON TRANSNET DEVELOPMENTS
Friday, 28 September 2018
The Economic Freedom Fighters notes the decision of Transnet to terminate the employment of Group Chief Executive Officer Siyabonga Gama. As we illustrated in the letter we wrote to the President and Board Members appointed by Pravin Gordhan, the purging of African Executives in State Owned Companies border on unlawfulness and disregard of acceptable governance principles.
Since their appointment, the Board of Transnet has made several allegations against its GCEO and other Executives and yet do not have the courage to subject them to a due process, which will procedurally and fairly determine whether they are guilty of maladministration and corruption.
The phenomenon and practice of declaring people guilty and liable for huge amounts of money prior to due process is unlawful and decidedly unconstitutional. The EFF is aware that the purging of African Senior Executives in State Owned Companies and Government is a narcissistic agenda of Pravin Gordhan, who is in the process installing his puppets and friends in the Board and Executive Management of State Owned Companies and Department of Public Enterprises.
Like we did before, the EFF calls on the President and Transnet Board to stop the purging crusade and focus on improving the performance of State Owned Companies. As shown in the latest financial results, Transnet is one of the best performing State Owned Companies, and does not depend on Government bailouts.
If there is any wrongdoing on the part of Senior Executives in Transnet, the Board has an option of preferring charges on them and subject them to a fair process.
Declaring Senior Executives corrupt without due process will prevent them from getting other jobs elsewhere and will just leave a dark cloud over their heads with unproven allegations of corruption and maladministration.
The EFF once again calls on the president to immediately stop the narcissistic purging crusade by Pravin Gordhan, who is hellbent on installing puppets in the leadership of State Owned Companies. The EFF also advise the Transnet Executives to urgently interdict the dismissals without process and should request Courts to personally hold Board Members liable for disregarding basic Governance principles.
Statement issued by the Economic Freedom Fighters, 28 September 2018
