Publications
Partners
Cape Town - Former SA National Defence Force chief Siphiwe Nyanda on Wednesday welcomed the settlement of the long-running dispute between Transnet and the company he co-founded General Nyanda Security (GNS).
"I am relieved that the matter has finally been settled and that I have been cleared of any wrongdoing," he said in a statement.
The statement follows Transnet's announcement earlier this week that it had withdrawn all litigation against GNS, "and regrets any harm that may have been caused by the handling of the matter".
The dispute - which led to various legal proceedings - centred around agreements entered into between Transnet and GNS five years ago.
In its announcement, Transnet also said it regretted any harm its actions may have caused to the image of GNS, as well as it founders, Nyanda and Sylvester Sithole.
Further, that it would withdraw all claims against GNS, while, it said, GNS had "agreed to withdraw all its counterclaims against Transnet".
The terms of the settlement were confidential.
The parastatal said an independent investigation had established that Transnet had derived full benefit from the amounts incurred on all contracts with GNS, and there had been no wrongdoing by GNS, Nyanda, Sithole or any of the company's officials.
"Transnet wishes to confirm that the blacklisting of GNS was lifted in 2013. It was procedurally and substantially unfair - it did not comply with the board-approved procedures and processes."
On Wednesday, Nyanda - who also served as communications minister from 2009 to 2010 - said he was satisfied by Transnet's admittance that the allegations it made at the time and the blacklisting of GNS were procedurally incorrect and unfair.
"For me this is a euphemism for administrative bungling, abuse of authority, or maliciousness of those in office at Transnet then... It has taken long, but the truth is finally out."
Nyanda said although he was never involved in the running of the company, and had stated so at the time, he was the one targeted by accusations, as a result of which his name was sullied and his reputation tarnished.
"There were also individuals who opportunistically took advantage of the barrage of attacks on my person to make yet more false allegations on my office as minister of communications.
"My family and I have had to endure the emotional strain of all these falsehoods and attacks on my person and reputation, this especially so after I was fired as minister of communications, which the family ascribed in large part to this issue."
Nyanda said the "emotional drainage over this matter" had led him to quit public office and decline nomination for a seat in the National Assembly ahead of elections earlier this year.
