Zondo was surprised to hear that Transnet paid the former CEO’s court costs after winning the case.

JOHANNESBURG – Former Transnet Chief Legal Officer Siyabulela Mapoma said his superior laughed at him when he showed him an insulting letter written to him by former CEO Siyabonga Gama’s lawyers.

He told the state capture commission that he had refused to pay Gama’s lawyers R12 million even though Transnet had agreed to pay the money because the High Court had ordered Gama to pay Transnet’s costs.

Instead, he said he threatened to report Gama’s lawyer, Themba Langa, to the Lawyers Society.

Former Transnet CEO Siyabonga Gama lost an unfair dismissal dispute and the High Court ordered him to pay the costs to Transnet, but instead, Transnet decided to pay 75% of its costs.

His lawyer, Themba Langa, wrote a very rude letter to Transnet’s chief legal officer, Siyabulela Mapoma, demanding the 12 million rand.

Mapoma showed the letter to his superior.

Mapoma was asked about his superior’s reaction to the letter.

“She laughed at me,” Mapoma told Zondo.

A puzzled Zondo replied, “Did you laugh? Did you read the letter?”

Mapoma: “Yes.”

Zondo: “Miss Stephens laughed after reading the letter and was that the end of her engagement on the topic or was there any discussion that followed between the two of you after she laughed?”

Mapoma: “Without a chair.”

Then-minister adviser Malusi Gigaba also called Mapoma about the payment and Mapoma told him that he was not informing the minister or the president, another shock for Supreme Court Vice President Raymond Zondo.

“Actually, never in my experience of many, many years have I heard one party commit to contribute to the costs of the other party that lost in a case against that party.”

The commission has heard how Chairman Jacob Zuma wanted Gama and no one else to be the CEO of Transnet.

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