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State capture update: September’s news and events

The Special Investigating Unit’s (SIU) investigation into Prasa is yielding results, and the organisation recently revealed that it now has information on companies and directors that benefited to the tune of R776-million in total from the controversial R3.5-billion Swifambo contract for the procurement of trains. SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago told the SABC in an interview Read more >

Former Prasa engineer Mtimkulu gets 15 years for fraud

Image: Wikimedia Commons, used under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International Almost a week after his former boss was sworn in as a member of Parliament, former Prasa executive Daniel Mtimkulu learned his fate in the Johannesburg High Court on Tuesday. He will be going to jail for 15 years, the maximum sentence for fraud. Read more >

State capture update: August’s news and events

The Constitutional Court held a special sitting on Wednesday 21 August in honour of Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, who retires at the end of August after serving 27 years on the bench. The event was attended by several dignitaries, including National Assembly speaker Thoko Didiza, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Thembi Simelane, and National Read more >

The looters living it up from Prasa millions

Image: Ashraf Hendricks/GroundUp By Ra’eesa Pather and Qiqa Nkomo for Open SecretsFirst published on GroundUp This is the second in a series of articles on corruption in Prasa’s dealings with front company Swifambo Rail Leasing. It focuses on the activities of Makhensa Mabunda and Auswell Mashaba, the men who orchestrated the purchase of unusable locomotives Read more >

The European company that profited from corruption at Prasa

Image: Flickr/GovernmentZA By Ra’eesa Pather and Qiqa Nkomo for Open SecretsFirst published on GroundUp In 2012, a deal was struck that contributed to the near collapse of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa). The Swifambo deal for 70 locomotives led to billions of rands in losses for Prasa and accelerated the decline of Read more >

SIU authorised to investigate Home Affairs and PRASA

Source: Special Investigating Unit President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed two proclamations authorising the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to investigate allegations of serious maladministration in the affairs of Department of Home Affairs and Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), and improper or unlawful conduct by officials or employees of the State entities, and to recover Read more >

Siyangena case dismissal is a victory for Prasa’s corruption-busters

First published on GroundUp Today (1 November), the Supreme Court of Appeal dismissed, with costs, the appeal by Siyangena Technologies, a corrupt contractor for the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa). R5.5-billion of public money was on the line. Siyangena was shameless in its corruption. The company circumvented procurement rules, tailored Prasa contracts to Read more >