Former Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) boss Lucky Montana will testify against former communications minister Siphiwe Nyanda at the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture.
Sunday World can reveal that the Umkhonto We Sizwe (MK) veteran is one of the ANC leaders that Montana will name as a beneficiary of a multimillion rand security tender at Prasa that was awarded without going to an open bid- ding process.
A former Chief of the South African National Defence Force, Nyanda’s name emerged amid a ferocious war of words between Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula and the leadership of Umkhonto We Sizwe Military Veterans Association over security tenders at Prasa.
Mbalula accused MKMVA president Kebby Maphatsoe and the organisation’s spokesman, Carl Niehaus of thuggery, saying: “Prasa was your milking cow. I have closed the taps, that is my sin. You used to do as you wish with fake security companies.”
This is after the MKMVA marched out- side ANC headquarters Luthuli House against the insourcing of about 3 000 guards.
The organisation said it was protesting to highlight the plight of the ex-combatants. Montana, who said he could not share the details of his submission to the Zondo Commission, addressed the issue of security companies at Prasa.
He said Mbalula’s statements that Prasa was a “milking cow” were unfortunate and factually incorrect and challenged the minister to respond to his testimony before Zondo.
“I am hoping that Minister Mbalula will also be invited by the commission to present his direct personal knowledge of the corruption and the specific companies that are involved in such corrupt practises.
“I am required to respond to Prasa was destroyed by greedy ANC politicians and government leaders that collaborated to remove me [from Prasa] the statements of the minister, but there are no specific details of which company was awarded a tender through corrupt means,” he said.
Montana confirmed that Nyanda’s GNS Risk Advisory Services was awarded a confinement security contract.
“I can confirm that General Nyanda’s GNS was contracted to Prasa between 2010 and 2013, if my recollection serves me well.
“We preferred GNS because it was also contracted to Transnet at the time and it was practical to appoint them considering the shared network between Prasa and Transnet,” he said.
“Would Minister Mbalula accuse GNS, led by General Nyanda as one of the companies appointed corruptly and ‘milking’ the Prasa cow?
Montana said allegations of corruption under his leadership were false.
“I provide the details in my comprehensive statement I submitted to the commission last night [Thursday].
Nyanda first denied that GNS scored a contract from Prasa, saying he was not active in GNS but just a shareholder.
Pressed further, Nyanda changed tune: “Someone says there was for two years,” he said, referring further questions to Prasa and Transnet.
