Dylan Bettencourt
Spanish authorities are investigating corruption at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa).
The probe relates to a deal between a Spanish railway company and Prasa worth close to R3 billion worth of trains that were deemed “too tall” to use.
Neither the Hawks nor the National Prosecuting Authority NPA has probed the alleged corruption, according to GroundUp.
At the end of July, South Africa’s justice department revealed it had received a request for legal assistance in regard to “alleged corruption by Mr Makhensa Mabunda and others, acting on behalf of Prasa for the supply of locomotives by a Spanish company, Vossloh Espana Sau”.
The requests were said to have been received between March and April this year.
Mabunda, who is a businessman, is allegedly one of the key figures from the deal that saw Prasa buy locomotives described as “too-tall trains”.
The deal between Prasa and the Spanish rail company was to provide South Africa with trains suitable for long-distance routes, but the trains exceeded the maximum height for South Africa’s railways.
Prasa paid around R2.7 billion to Swifambo, which transferred a total of R1.8 billion to Vossloh.
Prasa in return received 13 locomotives worth R200 million each. But none of the trains could be operated safely.
Reports suggest that Mabunda profited R75 million from the Spanish rail company.
The Zondo Commission received evidence showing Mabunda received a total of R1 billion from Prasa for several different contracts.
A High Court judgement in 2017 which looked into the tender found that the deal was riddled with corruption.
The Supreme Court of Appeal in 2018 revealed that “Swifambo’s real role was undoubtedly to enable Vossloh to become the real bidder for the tender”.
Despite the plagued deal, Prasa chairperson Leonard Ramatlakane still wants to make use of the trains.
Following the scandal, Vossloh Espana was sold by its German parent company to Switzerland rail company Stadler Rail AG.
Image source: @GroundUp
