Transnet officials said they had to approve bids or lose jobs, according to a survey

PRETORIA – The state capture commission learned how a Transnet whistle-blower said that the bid committee members were threatened with losing their jobs if they did not make sure that a particular company won a tender, but the question was swept under the carpet.

The details appeared during the testimony Monday of the former head of the Transnet group's information, Makano Mosidi.

Mosidi testified that the technology company Gijima was the preferred bidder for a large-scale project, but that, by meddling in the bidding process, the contract was awarded to T-Systems.

She was asked to read an anonymously written letter and what she did with it.

"It looks like it's coming from Transnet employees; in particular, it came from the cross-functional evaluation team, which was actually forced to vote and recommend certain things because the bosses had told them to do it, "said Mosidi.

Mosidi said that a colleague had returned the letter for further investigation.

"She actually started this process and made sure that the internal audit as well as the forensic auditors would further investigate this letter. But nothing came out because, as I learned later, the medico-legal process was stopped for one reason or another … and so she never knew the result or myself the result of the letter, "she said.

Last month, Gerhard van der Westhuizen, a former accountant and employee of Transnet, explained how he feared losing his job if he did not comply with the order of the former CEO of Transnet. group, Brian Molefe, to improperly award a call for tenders to T-Systems. In this case, a telecommunications company had been recommended for the call for tenders.