Transnet on Tuesday dismissed claims that its request for proposals (RFP) for the optimisation of its property portfolio was a R40-billion business opportunity to be taken advantage of.

Responding to a statement issued by the Democratic Alliance (DA) last week, Transnet spokesperson Viwe Tlaleane on Tuesday said the company had issued a RFP for the development and implementation of a holistic and sustainable solution for its R4.1-billion noncore property portfolio.

“The property portfolio is not for sale,” she assured.

DA Shadow Minister of Public Enterprises Natasha Mazzone last week raised the alarm on the possibility of attracting proposals with the intention of “looting” Transnet’s significant R40-billion property portfolio.

“The value of Transnet’s property portfolio is substantial and the tender process must be thoroughly investigated to protect the parastatal from being looted.

“It is imperative, given the sheer nature of this deal and in light of the far-reaching stories of State capture by the Gupta family, that Parliament has oversight over this tender to ensure that there is no corruption in this deal,” she said.

However, Transnet dismissed the valuation as well as the possibility of looting, pointing out that its overall core portfolio was valued at R25.9-billion, not R40-billion, and that it is solely for supporting the company’s core transactions and is not part of the tender.

Further, Tlaleane clarified that the optimisation process related to investigating ways of enhancing returns on its noncore property portfolio, which was not for sale.

“The respondents are required to provide a comprehensive business plan, including an in-depth financial model, which must clearly demonstrate how Transnet can achieve a revenue-generating property portfolio,” she said.

The RFP was issued in April and closed on June 13.

Mazzone, meanwhile, said she had written to Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprise acting chairperson Zukiswa Rantho to request an urgent briefing on the tender.

She also planned to send a series of Parliamentary questions related to this matter to “uncover whether there were any irregularities” in the tender process.