Durban Businessman Relieved After Paul O'Sullivan’s Role in Aborted Transnet Tender Laid Bare in Parliament

Durban Businessman Relieved After Paul O’Sullivan’s Role in Aborted Transnet Tender Laid Bare in Parliament

Businessman Philani PG Mavundla says they have been finally vindicated. Photo: Sihle Mavuso

Former eThekwini Deputy Mayor and Durban businessman Philani “PG” Mavundla has welcomed revelations that a corruption report by forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan and Sarah Jane-Trent, which led to Transnet cancelling a multi-billion-rand joint venture in the Durban Harbour in 2018, was fabricated.

Mavundla says he feels vindicated that the truth has finally emerged, seven (07) years after the report caused the collapse of a partnership between Italian construction firm CMC Di Ravena and the eMtateni Consortium.

Speaking to African Times, Mavundla reflected on the moment during a parliamentary oversight hearing on Thursday night when MK Party MP David Skosana confronted Jane-Trent about the matter, putting it to her that the report amounted to a smear campaign against CMC and the local consortium.

“When we got awarded a R4.3b contract to do the Durban Harbor, the loosing bidders objected to the award and demanded answers.

“Transnet gave them answers but they were not happy so they went to court and their matter was not decided as quickly as they wanted to,” Mavundla said.

He alleged that the loosing bidders went on to employ the services of O’Sullivan who commissioned a false report that called them fronts, and linked them to former President Jacob Zuma, forgetting that the tender was awarded by the National Acquisition Committee, where, amongst the people who sat there, is the current SARS commissioner.

“O’Sullivan report painted us as fronts and demanded that Transnet stop paying us. O’Sullivan went further to get the SIU to charge us and take away our assets which they started the process using O’Suluvan’s report laced with lies and distortion. At the end, I had to terminate the contact with Transnet,” Mavundla added.

Mavundla alleged that this shows that O’Sullivan was not only having his tentacles on the police, but in the business world as well.

“Paul O’Sullivan did not only fight the police, but he was fighting with all the successful native businesses that were seen as a threat to the white monopoly capital,” Mavundla alleged.