Transnet starts probe into bribery allegations at Richards Bay terminals
Transnet Port Terminals, part of South Africa’s logistics group Transnet, has launched an investigation into alleged corrupt activities taking place in coal truck queues on public roads leading to the Richards Bay Terminals.
The state-owned freight transport company said it has received information that employees working at the port precinct are allegedly accepting bribes for nominated trucks to skip queues.
“While the company currently has no evidence at its disposal to support this, it takes these allegations seriously and has since instituted parallel investigations in partnership with law enforcement agencies. In the event that the investigations find that any of the terminals’ employees are guilty of such allegations, our internal disciplinary processes would then run their course,” Transnet said.
The Richards Bay Terminals form part of a network of 16 sea cargo and three inland terminals managed by Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) nationally. A deepsea water port boasting 13 berths, the terminal employs just over 1,000 employees and exports over 30 varied commodities from magnetite to ferrochrome, woodchips to aluminium and steel, mainly to the UK, US, India, the Middle and Far East and Pacific Rim countries like China and Japan.
Transnet added that it is engaging all terminals’ customers, suppliers and service providers to determine the extent of the reported corrupt activities.
“Customers, suppliers and service providers are being requested to provide information on whether they have received requests from the company’s employees directly or indirectly to pay or provide benefits or favours in return for added privileges or preferential service at the terminals,” it noted.
