Dear Editor
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has lodged an official complaint with the Office of the Public Protector today, calling for a full investigation into suspected maladministration by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) Board regarding the awarding and management of seven multi-year refurbishment contracts worth a combined R7.5 billion.
While commuters struggle to get to work, and seek work, everyday with unreliable trains, PRASA wastes R3.5 billion. And while train ticket prices keep rising, taking money from the poor, PRASA wastes R3.5 billion. This is a disgrace and a scandal which must be brought to book.
The complaint, submitted today, details serious allegations regarding the so-called GO contracts approved in June 2022. These contracts were intended to upgrade, refurbish and renew old train carriages. However, according to a draft forensic report by Webber Wentzel, several media reports, and oversight visits by DA Members of Parliament, the refurbished carriages are not operational. Instead, they have been abandoned at railway depots, left to rust, and have deteriorated through neglect and a lack of maintenance.
We believe that the PRASA Board were negligent by locking the entity into long-term contracts that resulted in massive fruitless and wasteful expenditure. Furthermore, the Board have failed to implement adequate monitoring, reporting and consequence management systems. To date, PRASA has reported spending R3.5 billion on these contracts.
During the PRASA Board’s appearance before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport on 17 June 2025, the Board stated that expenditure on the GO contracts stood at R2.5 billion. However, when the same Board later appeared before the Standing Committee on Public Accounts on 17 September 2025, it reported that the expenditure stood at R3.5 billion. This inconsistency raises serious concerns about the accuracy and reliability of PRASA’s financial disclosures.
A June 2025 News24 investigation revealed direct links between three PRASA Board members and some of these companies, which must be thoroughly scrutinised for possible corruption and fraud.
South Africans deserve a rail system that serves commuters, not one crippled by negligence and potential corruption.
Regards
Thamsanqa Mabhena MP
DA Deputy Spokesperson on Transport