DA MP barred from oversight visit to Prasa, raising concerns over R2.5bn train refurbishment

DA MP Thamsanqa Mabhena will write to National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza after being prevented from doing an unannounced oversight on Passenger Rail Agency of SA’s (Prasa’s) controversial R7.5 billion train refurbishment programme.

Mabhena, accompanied by DA City of Johannesburg councillor Bongani Nkwanyana, arrived at Prasa’s Braamfontein depot on Thursday morning, but by midday, he still had not started doing his work.

“We will write to the Speaker just to appraise her of what is happening and secondly, we are going to hold the Prasa executive and board the next time they come to the portfolio committee that when MPs want to do unannounced oversight, there shouldn’t be bureaucratic stumbling blocks which are manufactured, put there for us not to be able to do our work,” he explained.

According to Mabhena, preventing oversight could have negative consequences for the agency.

“What then happens if I, as an MP, who has to vote for the Prasa budget to pass in terms of budget vote 40 of Parliament which contains Prasa transfers, if then I walk out of Parliament and say as an MP I’m not going to vote for this budget because you refused me access to that public entity?” he asked.

Mabhena added that institutions of the state must work collaboratively.

“We will write to the chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Transport (Donald Selamolela) because you cannot say that we need permission when we are doing an unannounced oversight visit, it is critical and very important, and as an established convention of Parliament, it has always been there.”

He said currently, Parliament is in a constituency period.

“We are to go and see what is happening, to visit these public entities, so we are fulfilling the work of Parliament during the constituency period as mandated by the Speaker’s programme,” added Mabhena.

On the subject of his unannounced oversight visit, the general overhaul programme, he said Prasa has spent R2.5bn of the R7.5bn set aside for the yellow and grey fleet to refurbish trains they are not using or have no intention of using, and which are running only on two lines in the Eastern and Western Cape.

“The general overhaul programme is nothing but an elaborate corruption scheme, which is meant to give money to ANC-connected cadres who are benefiting from these contracts, who are milking the state dry by making sure we are refurbishing trains that we are not going to be using.

“Essentially, they are refurbishing these trains just for them to gather dust and to further decay here,” Mabhena complained.

He added that Prasa has indicated that it has 3,000 coaches of the yellow and grey fleet, but 400 planned to be refurbished.

Prasa, according to Mabhena, plans to scrap 590, of which 200 have already been scrapped.

He said scrapping literally meant chopping up the trains for scrap metal and selling them off.

“This means that R2.5bn has gone down the drain,” Mabhena said.

He said refurbishing trains that are not going to be used is nothing but corruption that has engulfed Prasa.

“What is disheartening, of that R2.5bn that has already been spent, those yellow and grey fleet are parked here at this yard in Braamfontein,” stated Mabhena.

Prasa spokesperson Andiswa Makanda has not responded to requests for comment.

loyiso.sidimba@inl.co.za