Statement by Chris Hunsinger MP – DA Spokesperson on Transport:
The Democratic Alliance (DA) will submit additional evidence to the Public Protector as part of the ongoing investigation into the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), following new revelations about alleged corruption and procurement abuse linked to the R7.5 billion General Overhaul (GO) train refurbishment contracts.
Recent investigative reporting by News24 has exposed further allegations of how billions of rand were spent refurbishing old grey and yellow train carriages that remain non-operational and abandoned in depots, raising serious concerns about governance failures and potential criminal conduct.
The DA’s original complaint already highlighted that approximately R3.5 billion had been spent on the GO contracts while trains continued to deteriorate instead of serving commuters. These developments now strengthen the case that systemic maladministration and possible corruption have continued despite years of warnings and oversight.
According to the latest investigation, one contractor allegedly received substantial payments while a forensic report by law firm Webber Wentzel is said to contain findings of bribery, inflated pricing, and networks of relationships between officials and suppliers. PRASA has refused to release the forensic report despite our formal Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) request.
The DA has consistently pursued lawful channels to obtain transparency through parliamentary oversight, committee processes, and legal requests, yet the continued secrecy surrounding the Webber Wentzel report raises serious questions about accountability. If there is nothing to hide, the report must be made public immediately.
PRASA’s failures are not new. The Public Protector’s 2015 “Derailed” findings already exposed governance failures and irregular procurement practices, yet taxpayers are still paying for trains that never reach commuters.
By submitting this additional evidence, we aim to assist the Public Protector in expanding the scope of the investigation to include the latest allegations, the apparent concealment of forensic findings, and the broader pattern of waste and corruption within PRASA’s rolling stock programmes.
The DA will continue to fight for full transparency, consequence management, and the recovery of public funds. Every rand lost to corruption is a rand stolen from working South Africans who rely on safe, reliable, and affordable rail transport.
Tomcat
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