Prasa ducking and diving

It appears that the new interim board of the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) is up to the same old tactics to cover up corruption at the state-owned enterprise.

It has been three years since the release of the former public protector’s Derailed report, which detailed massive corruption at Prasa and instructed the Treasury to commission reports into 193 contracts Prasa entered into from 2012 to 2016. The Treasury instructed 13 independent audit firms to conduct forensic studies on the contracts, which were completed more than a year ago. They revealed R2.5bn in irregular expenditure and recommended charges be brought against the Prasa board and executives. These reports were eventually leaked as there is seemingly a campaign to quash the findings. This prompted the DA to lay charges against those implicated.

Transport Minister Blade Nzimande’s reply to my written question indicates that Prasa is now disputing the findings of the independent investigations and has indicated that it wants fresh investigations.

Clearly Prasa has a conflict of interest. Since when do state-owned enterprises implicated in criminal activities dictate whether they accept findings emanating from investigations?

All of this should be seen in the context of millions of South Africans suffering from a broken rail system while Prasa and successive ministers spend their time covering up blatant corruption. We need accountability now, so we can finally get Prasa on track to deliver the better rail services SA desperately needs.

I will continue to probe and pressure the minister until those implicated are brought to book.

Manny de Freitas, MP DA shadow transport minister