<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, commuter activist group #UniteBehind hand-delivered an affidavit to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) offices in Cape Town.<\/p>\n
It wants the NPA to investigate, subpoena and prosecute parties involved in billions of rands of corrupt procurement at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) over a decade ago.<\/p>\n
Read:<\/p>\n
Activist group\u2019s seven-year push for accountability at Prasa
\nHawks, NPA sued for failing to investigate Prasa corruption<\/p>\n
The affidavit was also submitted to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks) and the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).<\/p>\n
It was accompanied by a forensic report detailing bank records that \u201cidentify patterns and flag transactions for scrutiny\u201d. It also suggests subpoena actions that the NPA should take.<\/p>\n
In the affidavit, #UniteBehind director Zackie Achmat calls on the NPA to investigate the conduct as \u201can organised criminal enterprise\u201d instead of \u201ca series of unrelated procurement irregularities\u201d.<\/p>\n
The affidavit details the corrupt tender awarded in 2013 by Prasa to Swifambo for a R3.5 billion locomotive contract.<\/p>\n
Only 13 locomotives of 70 were delivered, and they were too tall for the train network. About R2.65 billion was paid to Swifambo before the contract was halted.<\/p>\n
In 2017, the Gauteng High Court found the Swifambo tender process to be corrupt and fraudulent. The court said, \u201cCorruption is a cancer that is slowly eating at the fabric of our society.\u201d<\/p>\n
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It also cited the Constitutional Court\u2019s warning that corruption, \u201cif allowed to go unchecked and unpunished, will pose a serious threat to our democratic state\u201d.<\/p>\n
Read: Court rules #UniteBehind can be added to Prasa corruption case<\/p>\n
In November 2018, the Supreme Court of Appeal dismissed Swifambo\u2019s appeal and upheld the high court judgment.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, Advocate Tommy Bunguzana, deputy director of public prosecutions at the NPA, received the group\u2019s documents. He said the NPA would respond.<\/p>\n
In the affidavit, Achmat said: \u201cThe money that was stolen was money for infrastructure, rolling stock, signalling and security. Its theft produced the collapse of lines and services\u201d.<\/p>\n
At its peak in 2008\/09, Prasa recorded 54 million passenger trips per month. Numbers plummeted to an average of 1.7 million rail passenger trips per month between January 2021 and June 2022.<\/p>\n
The affidavit notes the Central Line in Cape Town, which serves the poorest communities in the city, was closed for years.<\/p>\n
Read:<\/p>\n
Whistleblowers and activists join forces to fight Prasa looting
\nPrasa whistleblowers make last bid to reclaim their jobs<\/p>\n
\u201cCommuters were exposed to violent crime on trains, at stations and on the walks forced on them when trains did not run, and the infrastructure that was left unguarded was stripped. The recovery that has begun is slow, partial and unevenly spread, and it is being paid for a second time out of the public purse,\u201d states the affidavit.<\/p>\n
The affidavit notes it has been 11 years since then-Public Protector Thuli Madonsela\u2019s Derailed report exposed corruption and maladministration at Prasa under former CEO Lucky Montana.<\/p>\n
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The affidavit calls on the NPA to respond within 30 days and to detail what it has done.<\/p>\n
On 18 August this year, parliament\u2019s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) heard that there had been no prosecutions in either the Swifambo or the Siyangena matter, another corrupt contract during Montana\u2019s tenure over a decade ago.<\/p>\n
#UniteBehind is calling on Scopa to hold hearings on Swifambo and investigate the conduct of the Hawks, SIU and NPA, and why prosecution has been delayed for over a decade.<\/p>\n
Read:\u00a0Spain investigates corrupt \u2018too-tall trains\u2019 sale, while SA has taken no action [2022]<\/p>\n
NPA spokesperson in the Western Cape Eric Ntabazalila said the document would be forwarded to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in Pretoria, which would communicate directly with #UniteBehind.<\/p>\n
Prasa spokesperson Andiswa Makanda responded to GroundUp: \u201cWe are not aware of criminal proceedings [related to Swifambo]. PRASA continues to support investigations and supports investigations as and when requested through a Request for Information. We are in no position to comment further on this matter.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a9 2026 GroundUp. This article was first published here.<\/p>\n
#Demand #prosecutions #R3.5bn #tootall #trains<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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