Robert Gumede, chairman of JSE-listed Gijima, has yet to make good on his threat to sue the Sunday Independent and some members of staff over an article he says was defamatory.
The newspaper earlier this month linked Gumede to a probe by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) at the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, which also includes Gijima's multimillion-rand Vulindlela contract.
The SIU has been mandated by president Jacob Zuma to investigate whether there was any "serious maladministration", "improper or unlawful conduct" by any staff, or any "unlawful appropriation or expenditure of public money or property" that may have cost either the department or the State IT Agency losses that can be recovered.
The probe spans dealings by the entities dating back to January 2008 and includes Gijima's contract to back-scan deeds and other documents, some of which hail from the 1700s.
According to a statement sent out on Gumede's behalf, the newspaper did not alert him to the fact that he was to be the subject and focus of the "defamatory article, a tactic of sabotage".
The statement asserts the questions posed by the journalist were aimed at Gijima, and Gumede did not have an opportunity to respond.
Subsequently, Gumede threatened to sue the publication, and several senior staff members, for R1 billion. Currently, his legal team is formulating the summons and quantifying his losses.
As soon as this is done, the summons will be issued.
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