The fraud and corruption case against Brian Molefe, Anoj Singh and their co-accused in the Transnet locomotive scandal was on Friday postponed until November 30. Photo: Delwyn Verasamy
Monday.
My plans for a leisurely introduction to the working week have — once more — had plans for me.
Instead of getting up to speed with the weekend’s news events over a coffee and a plate of dhania sausage and eggs with imli chutney to stave off the wintry morning, I’m playing catch-up, this time courtesy of the good people at the Investigative Directorate (ID) and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, also known as the Hawks.
It turns out that while I was still under the blankets, savouring my breakfast in advance, the Hawks and the ID were out there arresting former Transnet chief executive officer Brian Molefe and former chief financial officer Anoj Singh over their role in the R93-million Regiments Capital state capture case.
The chickens — or in this case, Transnet locomotives — appear to have finally come home to roost for Molefe and Singh, who spent their Monday morning waiting to be processed and to join the rest of the accused in the Regiments case in the Palm Ridge specialised commercial crime court.
Molefe, Singh, Regiments Capital bosses Niven Pillay and Litha Nyhonyha were granted bail of R50 000 each and will join the other accused, including former Transnet rail chief executive officer Siyabonga Gama and former Gupta fixer Kuben Moodley, when the matter goes back to court on 14 October.
Fair enough.
A reunion of the regulars at the Saxonwold Shebeen has been a long time coming — they last got to belly up to the bar in 2018, before Ajay, Atul and Tony did a runner as a result of former president Jacob Zuma being recalled.
If it has to be in court, why not?
After all, Molefe made it clear in his testimony to the Zondo commission into state capture that was the purpose of his regular visits to the family compound and not plotting to hand over Transnet and Eskom to the Brothers G.
Word had it that Molefe had been missing his old drinking partners — especially since Gama and company were arrested — so it’s actually pretty kind of the ID and the Hawks to be so accommodating as to reunite them, even if there’s none of Scotland’s finest for them to throw down their necks at the reunion.
One doubts there would have been much in the way of catering for the Monday morning reunion either — definitely no court-sponsored breakfast dosa, or masala chai, to clear away the weekend’s cobwebs — or at the next reunion..
Neither Molefe nor Singh — accused 11 and accused 13, respectively — looked like they were enjoying the reunion very much when they made their bail application, along with Pillay and Nyhonyha, on Monday.
Perhaps it’s the thought of 15 years in jail for corruption.
Perhaps they’d had a heavy weekend.
Perhaps they were still missing the Guptas.
The National Prosecuting Authority plans to add at least two of the Brothers G to the list of accused in the case during the next appearance — extradition permitting — so there’s still hope for a full house at the next get-together.
Until then, it remains a blue Monday at the Saxonwold Shebeen.