Saftu affiliate to act on Prasa ‘graft’

THE National Transport Movement (NTM) has threatened to use its numbers to compel lawenforcement agencies to probe alleged corruption at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) running into billions of rand.

The affiliate of the South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu), also demanded that the agency’s embattled board be allowed to finish its term of office.

NTM President Ephraime Mphahlele said the union would mobilise its 10 000 members at Prasa if law-enforcement agencies failed to properly investigate the allegations.

“NTM and Saftu demand that the board must be allowed to finish its work and that the Hawks and the National Prosecuting Authority, that appear to be politically captured, must urgently arrest and bring culprits to book.

“Should they fail to do so, the NTM will embark on sustained mass action until justice is done on these matters,” Mphahlele said.

“The whole procurement of the new trains by Prasa, for instance, has been riddled with corruption. The value of corruption at Prasa by far exceeds the arms-deal corruption and should therefore not be left unchallenged.”

Prasa chairman Popo Molefe approached the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, last month asking it to compel the Hawks to investigate claims of corruption in 142 contracts worth R24 billion at Prasa. Prasa has already spent at least R148 million investigating malfeasance relating to the procurement of new diesel and electric locomotives, with Molefe leading the charge.

Deputy Finance Minister Sifiso Buthelezi has been implicated but has strenuously denied any wrongdoing in relation to contracts Prasa signed on his watch as chairman.

Mphahlele said Transport Minister Joe Maswanganyi was jumping the gun by writing to the Prasa board informing it about terminating its membership, since the board only has five weeks left of its term, and it seemed an attempt to bedevil the investigation.

Mphahlele said the union called for the resignations of President Jacob Zuma, Maswanganyi and his deputy, as well as Buthelezi. – ANA