MK Party claims selective prosecution, stands by Molefe and Gama

The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party) has come out in strong support of its senior members and MPs, Brian Molefe and Siyabonga Gama, who are facing charges related to a multi-billion rand scandal involving the procurement of locomotives at Transnet. 

The party's national spokesperson, Nhlamulo Ndhlela, questioned the National Prosecuting Authority's (NPA) impartiality, accusing the justice system of engaging in a "troubling pattern of retaliation" against party members who have held state institutions to account.

Molefe, Gama, and two other former Transnet executives, Anoj Singh and Thamsanqa Jiyane, were arrested and released on bail of R50,000 each on Monday.

Ndhlela said the party would not be silenced or intimidated by the charges against its members. 

"The continued attacks on their character and professional integrity are not isolated incidents: they are part of a systemic purge targeting those who dare to challenge the status quo," he said.

The MK Party has consistently called for accountability within state-owned enterprises and institutions like the NPA, which must be held to the highest standards of integrity. 

However, Ndhlela claims that when the party raises legitimate questions about institutional bias and political capture, the response is swift and punitive.

"We reject the notion that these arrests are rooted in a genuine pursuit of justice. Instead, they are part of a broader, deeply troubling campaign that seeks to intimidate and criminalize black professionals, intellectuals, and revolutionaries, particularly those associated with the MK Party," Ndhlela said.

“It is increasingly evident that when the MK Party challenges institutions captured or influenced by narrow political interests, our members become targets,” he said.

Ndhlela further said the two members would continue to be the party’s MP’s until further notice.

“These charges reek of nothing else, but you know, a political agenda. So, we’re not going to now, all of a sudden, purge our people and our members on the basis of, you know, cases or should we say charges that are brought to them on the basis of, you know, something that transpired when there was the Transnet and so on so forth. So, let’s await the court process to unfold and we said we respect the rule of law. Let’s allow the process to unfold and we take it from there,” Ndhlela reportedly said.

Molefe, Gama, Singh and Jiyane, face 32 charges, including fraud, corruption, and violations of the Public Finance Management Act and the Companies Act. 

According to the charge sheet, the four executives allegedly conspired to favor the Chinese Rail Corporation (CRC) in the procurement of locomotives, resulting in inflated costs of at least R18 billion.

The four executives are set to face trial in October 2025. If convicted, they could face significant penalties, including imprisonment and fines. 

The trial will determine whether the four executives are guilty of the charges against them, which include dereliction of corporate and constitutional duty, fraud, and corruption.

Molefe faces 10 charges, Gama six charges, and Jiyane three charges, while Singh faces 13 charges. They are all accused of benefiting from bribes during their tenure as Transnet officials.

The allegations against the four executives were first revealed by the State Capture Commission of Inquiry. The commission found that the Gupta family had significant influence over Transnet's decision-making processes and the officials during the period in question.

The commission also heard that Molefe and Singh allegedly signed off on contracts without board or government approval, and that the costs inflated from an initial R38.6 billion to R54.5 billion.

mashudu.sadike@inl.co.za