Johannesburg - The Zondo commission will continue to hear Transnet-related testimony.
Siyabonga Mahlangu, former advisor to Malusi Gigaba, is expected to take the stand on Friday morning.
On Thursday a Transnet executive, who was intimately involved in the negotiations for dodgy deals worth almost R60 billion, has claimed he never suspected anything irregular.
Yousuf Laher, executive manager at Transnet Freight Rail’s finance department, told the Zondo Commission of Inquiry that he had no suspicions because he was working in a “pressurised environment”.
“At that period of time, no. Maybe it’s because we were under pressure, it was a very pressurised environment. We were dealing with multiple issues at the same time. I had no suspicions,” Laher responded to evidence leader Anton Myburgh’s question on whether he ever suspected that the awarding of these two tenders was corrupt in any way.
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Myburgh asked Laher if he did not think there was something irregular when former Transnet boss Brian Molefe offered R44m to buy 100 electric locomotives from China South Rail when Transnet had initially quoted R38.5m and the Chinese firm demanded R49m. Even Laher’s own calculations set the price at R41m.
Laher testified that he raised questions about this with ex-chief financial officer Anoj Singh.
“I did not think it was irregular. I received an adequate response from Singh. I questioned why the price was higher than the one that was in my statement,” he explained.
Myburgh probed further: “With the benefit of hindsight, do you accept that there were irregularities?”
Laher replied: “From what I’ve heard, what I’ve seen in the media and seen happening at the commission, I mean, there have been witnesses that have said some startling things. Obviously, with that evidence in mind, it does seem there was something untoward happening in the background.”
He maintained that he did the best he could at that point in time.
“I don’t think I could have done more. I did as much as I could. My fear is that had I been any more vigilant I would have been insubordinate,” he said.
Commission chairperson Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo also questioned Laher: “In other words, you didn’t want to go beyond a certain point in raising issues because you thought that would be insubordinate?”
Laher agreed with Judge Zondo.
Political Bureau