The United National Transport Union will formally request the newly appointed Public
Protector, Busisiwe Mkhwebane, to immediately investigate the latest shocking
allegations about the highly controversial R51billion tender contract awarded to
politically-connected stakeholders by the Passenger Rail Agency South Africa (Prasa).
“In the latest revelations by News24 it is alleged that the son of SAA chair Dudu Myeni and other politically-connected stakeholders in the tender contracts cashed in on their shares before a single new train had been built. Allegedly Thalente Myeni lists President Jacob Zuma’s Johannesburg house as his home address. His mother is a close friend of Zuma and chairperson of the Jacob Zuma Foundation.
“Thalente Myeni, “ANC tycoon” Monde Africa and Sesinyi Seopela, the late former
ANC Youth League leader Peter Mokaba’s bodyguard, were NAR’s local shareholders when the Alstom-led Gibela consortium won Prasa’s R51bn contract for the supply of 3 600 new passenger carriages in 2012.
“This is very disturbing for UNTU who has been struggling over the past three months to get the crippled passenger railway operator to adhere to its legal duty to provide a safe working environment to its staff, especially the train crews on the Central Line in the Western Cape who’s works in constant fear from criminals,” says Steve Harris, General Secretary of UNTU.
Harris wants Mkhwebane to investigate and bring out a second report with findings on the alleged corrupt transactions that took place at PRASA under the hand of its former chief executive officer Lucky Montana.
“More than a year after Adv. Thuli Madonsela, the outgoing Public Protector, brought out a 385-page report titled ‘Derailed’, no individuals have been criminally charged although she found evidence of maladministration and other forms of improper conduct in her probe.
Mandonsela probe came about after complaints from organised labour against about the contracts.
“UNTU is afraid that there might be political interference in bringing the culprits to justice. This Union firmly believes in the constitutional principal of justice delayed is justice denied,” says Harris.
For enquiries phone Harris on 082 566 5516.
Issued on behalf of UNTU by Sonja Carstens, Media and Liaison Officer. For UNTU Press Releases e-mail sonja@untu.co.za or phone 082 463 6806.
