The announcement by PRASA follows reports alleging that companies linked to the accused 28s gang boss, Ralph Stanfield, may have secured security-related subcontracting opportunities connected to the multibillion-rand Central Line recovery project.
Image: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers
The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has announced that it will institute a formal, independent review into allegations of irregular subcontracting linked to the reconstruction of the Cape Town Central Line.
In a statement issued on Friday, PRASA said the allegations raised in recent reports are serious and require further scrutiny.
"PRASA notes the recent reporting regarding alleged irregular subcontracting arrangements connected to the Cape Town Central Line recovery project. The allegations are of a serious nature, and PRASA does not take them lightly," the agency said.
"In the interest of transparency and public accountability, PRASA has decided to institute a formal, independent review of the matters raised and test the veracity of the allegations."
The announcement follows reports alleging that companies linked to the accused 28s gang boss, Ralph Stanfield, may have secured security-related subcontracting opportunities connected to the multibillion-rand Central Line recovery project.
The claims stem from an investigative report that suggested businesses linked to Stanfield and his wife were positioned to benefit from security work on the rail corridor after disruptions and violence affected construction activities.
Some reports allege that a company associated with the network received hundreds of millions of rand in security-related contracts between 2022 and 2024.
The controversy also prompted calls for a full investigation from Geordin Hill-Lewis, the mayor of Cape Town, who urged PRASA to suspend implicated officials and determine whether gang-linked entities benefited from the contracts.
Meanwhile, ward Councillor Angus McKenzie has rejected suggestions that he had any role in facilitating criminal involvement in the project. McKenzie said his only involvement was an early engagement with PRASA and contractors, where the rebuilding programme was presented, and where CV drop boxes were arranged to allow residents to apply for employment opportunities linked to the rail recovery project.
The Central Line, one of the busiest rail corridors in the Western Cape serving large parts of the Cape Flats, has been undergoing extensive rehabilitation after years of vandalism, infrastructure theft, and illegal occupation disrupted services.
PRASA said the independent review will examine the claims raised in recent reporting and determine whether any irregularities occurred in relation to subcontracting arrangements connected to the project.