Transnet state capture scandal: Former executives Molefe, Singh, Jiyane and Gama released on bail

Key topics: Molefe, Gama, Singh, and Jiyane granted bail over fresh charges.OUTA hails breakthrough in long-running Transnet locomotive scandal.Concerns grow over slow justice, political protection of accused MPs..Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here.Support South Africa’s bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here.The auditorium doors will open for BNIC#2 on 10 September 2025 in Hermanus. For more information and tickets, click here..By Kerry Lanaghan.In a significant step forward in South Africa’s long battle against state capture, former Transnet executives Brian Molefe, Siyabonga Gama, Anoj Singh, and Thamsanqa Jiyane appeared in court on 30 June 2025 on fresh charges of fraud and corruption. News24 reported that all four were granted bail of R50,000 each. The arrests form part of an expanding investigation into Transnet’s locomotive procurement scandal and broader allegations of state capture.The charges stem from alleged irregularities in procuring 1,064 locomotives and related contracts, which ballooned from an initial R38 billion to R54 billion under Molefe’s tenure. These figures have long raised red flags and were cited in the final report of the Zondo Commission as examples of the industrial-scale corruption that characterised Jacob Zuma’s presidency.Civil society watchdog Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) welcomed the arrests as a “breakthrough,” underscoring years of investigative work and civil advocacy. “There have been numerous unanswered questions surrounding the 1,064 locomotive contracts, particularly the suspicious cost escalation shortly before Molefe’s move from Transnet to Eskom,” said OUTA CEO Wayne Duvenage. “It is crucial that accountability follows allegations of such magnitude.”OUTA’s Senior Project Manager Rudie Heyneke, who has led the organisation’s investigations into Transnet since 2019, said the arrests affirm that law enforcement is still actively pursuing high-profile state capture cases. He emphasised the importance of keeping pressure on the system: “The fact that these matters are moving, even if slowly, shows progress. But we need faster resolutions to restore public confidence.”The National Prosecuting Authority’s Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) leads the case. This marks the second set of charges against Molefe, Gama, and Singh, who were previously granted bail in 2022 with other Transnet-linked corruption cases. Both Molefe and Gama currently serve as MPs for Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), a fact that has drawn sharp criticism from accountability advocates.OUTA also raised concerns about retaining individuals implicated in state capture within senior public roles, calling it a “shameful blot on Parliament’s reputation.” The organisation urged greater scrutiny of political appointments and accountability mechanisms within the legislative sphere.This week’s arrests come amid a flurry of anti-corruption activity: the NPA recently won a critical appeal in the Nulane case; SAPS Crime Intelligence head Dumisani Khumalo was arrested alongside six senior officers in a separate corruption probe; and 12 suspects were detained in the murder of Hawks investigator Lt-Col Frans Mathipa.However, OUTA cautioned against complacency. The organisation highlighted troubling developments, such as reports that the Department of Defence is funding the legal defence of SANDF members accused of Mathipa’s murder, as signs that entrenched interests may be resisting reform.Nonetheless, the latest court appearance by the former Transnet bosses represents a symbolic and material win for South Africa’s anti-corruption institutions. The real test, however, will be whether these prosecutions result in convictions and the recovery of stolen public funds.

Transnet state capture scandal: Former executives Molefe, Singh, Jiyane and Gama released on bail

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