Close Menu
TechCentralTechCentral

    Subscribe to the newsletter

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube LinkedIn
    WhatsApp Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn YouTube
    TechCentralTechCentral
    • News

      MultiChoice may unbundle SuperSport from DStv

      12 June 2025

      MVNO boom is reshaping South Africa’s mobile market

      12 June 2025

      South African law is failing gig-economy workers

      12 June 2025

      MultiChoice’s TV empire shrinks – but its ‘side hustles’ are holding strong

      12 June 2025

      MultiChoice is bleeding subscribers

      11 June 2025
    • World

      Qualcomm shows off new chip for AI smart glasses

      11 June 2025

      Trump tariffs to dim 2025 smartphone shipments

      4 June 2025

      Shrimp Jesus and the AI ad invasion

      4 June 2025

      Apple slams EU rules as ‘flawed and costly’ in major legal pushback

      2 June 2025

      Mark Zuckerberg has finally found a use for his metaverse

      30 May 2025
    • In-depth

      Grok promised bias-free chat. Then came the edits

      2 June 2025

      Digital fortress: We go inside JB5, Teraco’s giant new AI-ready data centre

      30 May 2025

      Sam Altman and Jony Ive’s big bet to out-Apple Apple

      22 May 2025

      South Africa unveils big state digital reform programme

      12 May 2025

      Is this the end of Google Search as we know it?

      12 May 2025
    • TCS

      TechCentral Nexus S0E1: Starlink, BEE and a new leader at Vodacom

      8 June 2025

      TCS+ | The future of mobile money, with MTN’s Kagiso Mothibi

      6 June 2025

      TCS+ | AI is more than hype: Workday execs unpack real human impact

      4 June 2025

      TCS | Sentiv, and the story behind the buyout of Altron Nexus

      3 June 2025

      TCS | Signal restored: Unpacking the Blue Label and Cell C turnaround

      28 May 2025
    • Opinion

      Beyond the box: why IT distribution depends on real partnerships

      2 June 2025

      South Africa’s next crisis? Being offline in an AI-driven world

      2 June 2025

      Digital giants boost South African news media – and get blamed for it

      29 May 2025

      Solar panic? The truth about SSEG, fines and municipal rules

      14 April 2025

      Data protection must be crypto industry’s top priority

      9 April 2025
    • Company Hubs
      • Africa Data Centres
      • AfriGIS
      • Altron Digital Business
      • Altron Document Solutions
      • Altron Group
      • Arctic Wolf
      • AvertITD
      • Braintree
      • CallMiner
      • CYBER1 Solutions
      • Digicloud Africa
      • Digimune
      • Domains.co.za
      • ESET
      • Euphoria Telecom
      • Incredible Business
      • iONLINE
      • Iris Network Systems
      • LSD Open
      • NEC XON
      • Network Platforms
      • Next DLP
      • Ovations
      • Paracon
      • Paratus
      • Q-KON
      • SkyWire
      • Solid8 Technologies
      • Telit Cinterion
      • Tenable
      • Vertiv
      • Videri Digital
      • Wipro
      • Workday
    • Sections
      • AI and machine learning
      • Banking
      • Broadcasting and Media
      • Cloud services
      • Contact centres and CX
      • Cryptocurrencies
      • Education and skills
      • Electronics and hardware
      • Energy and sustainability
      • Enterprise software
      • Fintech
      • Information security
      • Internet and connectivity
      • Internet of Things
      • Investment
      • IT services
      • Lifestyle
      • Motoring
      • Public sector
      • Retail and e-commerce
      • Science
      • SMEs and start-ups
      • Social media
      • Talent and leadership
      • Telecoms
    • Events
    • Advertise
    TechCentralTechCentral
    Home » Information security » Union urges action to protect Transnet after ‘cyberattack’

    Union urges action to protect Transnet after ‘cyberattack’

    By Suren Naidoo23 July 2021
    Twitter LinkedIn Facebook WhatsApp Email Telegram Copy Link
    News Alerts
    WhatsApp

    While government says it is investigating whether the apparent cyberattack on Transnet on Thursday is related to recent unrest in KwaZulu-Natal, the United National Transport Union (Untu) has appealed to President Cyril Ramaphosa “to instruct all law enforcement authorities to take decisive action” to protect the state-run logistics and port operator.

    On Friday morning, the websites of Transnet and its divisions were still offline, highlighting the extent of the group-wide IT outage, which caused trucking delays at the Port of Durban – sub-Saharan Africa’s busiest container port.

    Transnet’s vital Navis container terminal operating system was also offline due to the outage, affecting operations not only in Durban but also in the Cape Town port.

    Transnet issued a statement around midday on Thursday confirming that it was ‘experiencing disruption’ on its ‘IT network’

    “Currently, we are treating the cyberattack on Transnet as an unrelated event,” acting minister in the presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said in a briefing late on Thursday. “But we are investigating, and when information comes to the fore, we’ll either confirm or dispel whether the incident is related (to the unrest),” she added.

    Transnet issued a statement around midday on Thursday confirming that it was “experiencing disruption” on its “IT network”. It made no mention of whether this was related to a cyberattack.

    Protected

    In a statement issued following the incident, Untu said Transnet is “one of the few financially viable state-owned enterprises in South Africa” and needs to be protected from sabotage, vandalism and criminality.

    “Transnet had to endure numerous setbacks due to the inefficient support from other key role players over the past year which has hampered the goals of its executives to restore Transnet to the leading rail and logistics entity in Africa,” said Untu general secretary Steve Harris.

    “In the latest blow (on Thursday), the IT systems of Transnet shut down after it had been allegedly hacked overnight in a cyberattack.

    “Transnet sent out a statement to employees to explain it had to shut down some of its IT applications to identify the source of the problem. All operations had to continue using manual systems which results in delays. This comes despite Transnet going to great lengths to protect its internal systems from hackers,” said Harris.

    The IT outage could not have come at a worse time for Transnet, after last week’s riots and unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and parts of Gauteng. The unrest is now being referred to as a “failed insurrection”, which affected largely KwaZulu-Natal, including halting operations at both the ports of Durban and Richards Bay.

    While operations have since recommenced, Thursday’s “cyberattack” caused delays in several of Transnet’s operations. Untu noted in its statement that the latest incident comes while “Transnet is slowly still recovering from what transport minister Fikile Mbalula described to the BBC as a ‘coup’ – the vandalism and looting in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal”.

    Transnet employees were unable to report for work due to the dangerous situation, road closures and fuel shortages

    “The minister admitted to the BBC that the South African government ‘probably took longer than we were supposed to’ to respond to the severe situation,” it further pointed out.

    According to Harris, Transnet reported that it had suffered a loss of more than R259-million due to the impact of the unrest at the ports of Richards Bay and Durban.

    “Transnet employees were unable to report for work due to the dangerous situation, road closures and fuel shortages. This resulted in a backlog in the moving of goods in and out of the ports,” he said. “It is heart-breaking that our ports and rail infrastructure, where employees have continued to place their lives in danger throughout the Covid-19 pandemic to ensure that goods, foods and commodities reach its destinations and to keep the economy going, has been so severely impacted by the criminal conduct of a few lawless individuals.

    ‘Appeals’

    “Untu once again appeals to President Ramaphosa and police minister Bheki Cele to explain to South Africans why there is an absence of adequate law enforcement in the transport sector, specifically in the rail, ports, trucks, and taxi environments. President Ramaphosa is failing in his duty to hold Mbalula accountable for the negative impact on the South African economy due to the ongoing disruptions in the various sectors of the transport industry.”

    • This article was originally published on Moneyweb and is used here with permission

    Now read: Transnet container operations hit by ‘cyberattack’



    Fikile Mbalula Khumbudzo Ntshavheni top Transnet
    Subscribe to TechCentral Subscribe to TechCentral
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram Email Copy Link
    Previous ArticleIntel sales forecast implies rocky second half ahead
    Next Article Vodacom turns in a strong first quarter

    Related Posts

    High court derails analogue switch-off

    27 March 2025

    South Africa mulling streaming levy to fund SABC

    5 March 2025

    Here is a radical idea: let go of the Post Office

    4 March 2025
    Company News

    Building a cyber-resilient culture from the boardroom to the front lines

    12 June 2025

    How South Africa’s municipalities are finally getting smart

    12 June 2025

    Ransomware roulette: pay up or power through?

    11 June 2025
    Opinion

    Beyond the box: why IT distribution depends on real partnerships

    2 June 2025

    South Africa’s next crisis? Being offline in an AI-driven world

    2 June 2025

    Digital giants boost South African news media – and get blamed for it

    29 May 2025

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    © 2009 - 2025 NewsCentral Media

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.