The progress of the docket comparison process will be reviewed at the next court appearance.
From left: Anoj Singh, Brian Molefe, Siyabonga Gama, Thamsanqa Jiyane and Malusi Gigaba appear at Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crime Court on 30 January 2026. Picture: Gallo Images/OJ Koloti
The long-running corruption case involving ex-Cabinet minister Malusi Gigaba and former Transnet executives has been postponed yet again.
The matter returned to the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg on Friday, 10 July, where Gigaba was in the dock alongside his co-accused following their last court appearance in early May.
All the accused remain out on R50 000 bail.
Gigaba faces charges together with former Transnet chief financial officer (CFO) Anoj Singh, former chief executives Brian Molefe – who was absent on Friday – and Siyabonga Gama, as well as former Transnet Freight Rail chief procurement officer Thamsanqa Jiyane.
Malusi Gigaba’s Transnet corruption case postponed
The court ruled that proceedings be postponed until 23 October, granting the defence further time to review and familiarise themselves with the extensive case docket.
The docket includes a significant volume of documentation and digital evidence.
Ongoing procedural and administrative issues remain at the centre of the delays.
These include uncertainty over the funding of Gigaba’s legal representation, requests for further particulars, and the process of verifying and aligning the contents of the disclosed docket among all parties.
Investigating Directorate Against Corruption spokesperson Henry Mamothame told the media that the postponement was necessary to ensure fairness in the process.
“You’d recall that the state made disclosure of the docket sometime in November 2025.
“Then the matter was postponed to around May this year, and what emerged at the last appearance was that the judge ordered that, from that disclosure, all parties should make a comparison to see if all the dockets are the same, and whether the documents to be used for trial are the same.
“Should there be any problems within that period, timelines were set for such issues to be resolved,” he explained.
“There were different timelines set, and it has come to our attention that some of the accused were unable to go through this process.
“We, therefore, deemed it fit that it is only fair that the postponement be granted,” Mamothame added.
State eyes 2027 trial start
Mamothame indicated that the progress of the docket comparison process will be reviewed at the next court appearance.
He expressed optimism that outstanding administrative matters could be resolved within the coming months before the trial commences in 2027.
“We are hoping by March, which is one of the dates that has been set, everything would have been resolved and we’d be ready for trial.”
Despite repeated delays, the state maintains that the merits of the case will ultimately be determined in court.
“The strength of this case will be tested in a trial court.”
Transnet corruption allegations
The charges relate to Transnet’s locomotive programme, which was intended to modernise South Africa’s rail network.
Authorities allege that proper procurement processes were bypassed in awarding three locomotive contracts, costing Transnet billions.
CSR, a Chinese firm, was appointed for 95 locomotives, with the contract increasing from R3.2 billion to over R3.4 billion.
Two further contracts with CNR – for 100 and 1 064 locomotives – were also allegedly inflated, rising from R3.8 billion to R4.8 billion and R38.1 billion to R54 billion, respectively.
According to prosecutors, Gigaba allegedly received cash payments on multiple occasions from members of the Gupta family between November 2010 and May 2014, while serving as public enterprises minister.
Separate case
In a related case, Singh, Molefe, and Gama face charges including fraud, corruption, money laundering, and contraventions of the Public Finance Management Act, linked to a locomotive transaction advisory tender awarded to a McKinsey & Co-led consortium in 2012.
Additional individuals facing charges include former Transnet CFO Garry Pita and ex-treasurer Phetolo Ramosebudi.
Also implicated are Regiments Capital directors Niven Pillay and Litha Nyhonyha, Regiments shareholder Eric Wood, Trillian director Daniel Roy, and Albatime owner Kuben Moodley.
Initially, 15 accused persons and entities were named in the case; however, the charges against Gupta-linked Trillian Asset Management and McKinsey & Co. were later dropped.
The trial, which had been expected to get underway in early 2026, is yet to start.
