Gigaba 'shocked' over timing of corruption charges he's facing

Former Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba has expressed shock at the timing of the corruption charges he now faces in connection with alleged corruption at Transnet. 

The allegations within the state-owned entity were first detailed in the Zondo Commission's report in 2022.

Gigaba made his first appearance on Tuesday morning at the Palm Ridge Magistrates Court. 

He faces a charge under the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act alongside four former Transnet executives.

Gigaba is accused of receiving kickbacks stemming from Transnet locomotive deals. He was formally charged in the Palm Ridge Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

The former minister is one of the key figures implicated in the Zondo Commission of Inquiry, which investigated claims of state capture, fraud, and corruption at state-owned entities, including Transnet and Eskom.

Gigaba’s attorney, Nicholas Kourie, confirmed that the charges relate to a period between November 2010 and May 2014.

"The charges emanated from the testimony that was given at the Zondo Commission in 2021, so we are all a bit shocked that it is surfacing now in 2025, but the charges are a repetition of what came out of the Zondo Commission."

Gigaba has been released on a warning. His four co-accused — former executives Brian Molefe, Siyabonga Gama, Anoj Singh, and engineer Thamsanqa Jiyane — remain out on bail.