Mr Xolile George
Office of the Secretary to Parliament
Parliament of the Republic of South Africa
PO Box 15
Cape Town
8000

Dear Mr George

Request for the submission of a matter to the Public Enterprises Portfolio Committee and the Standing Committee on Public Accounts: allegations in regard to a Transnet tugboats tender, the disposal of Viamax and the Public Protector/KPMG forensic investigation

1. I write to you regarding the abovementioned matter after Mr Iqbal Meer Sharma had approached my office regarding the fact that he had made his submission to the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, Corruption and Fraud in the Public Sector including Organs of State (Zondo Commission) and never was heard in terms of allegations around a Transnet tugboats tender, the disposal of Viamax and the Public Protector/KPMG forensic investigation.

2. This effectively meant these issues were never aired and, as he put it in his attached affidavit, that “In the course of my work as a Director, my colleagues and I came across certain matters of impropriety and malfeasance that needed further investigation. We also came across matters which could be loosely described as ‘cover-ups’.”

3. Mr Sharma served as Transnet’s director from December 2010 to October 2014, playing significant roles on the Board Acquisitions and Disposals Committee (BADC) and the Corporate Governance Committee, later becoming the head of the BADC in August 2012.

4. Mr Sharma’s affidavit contains revelations that warrant serious scrutiny, implicating individuals of prominence who should be held to the highest standards of integrity.

5. Given that Mr Sharma alleges that in December 2010, the former Public Protector, Advocate Thuli Madonsela, received a complaint dating back to 2009 from the then Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises, Vytjie Mentor (now deceased), it would make sense to for the Committee to pick up the baton again. For your information, we are writing to the Public Protector simultaneously to this writ, regarding the same matter.

6. I am formally submitting Mr Sharma’s affidavit to you, urging that the matter be brought before both the Public Enterprises Portfolio Committee and the Standing Committee on Public Accounts in the new term. While the complete documentation is available from Mr. Sharma, including all annexures, I have included only the main body for brevity. When appropriate, I am willing to facilitate contact between the committees and Mr. Sharma to ensure a thorough examination of the issues at hand.

7. Hope to hear from you soon.

Yours sincerely

Mr Bantu Holomisa, MP
President of the United Democratic Movement