11 years, R6-billion later: Parliament must hold hearings on state capture at PRASA

In a nearly ten-hour hearing on 18 August 2026, the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) heard from the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), the Hawks, and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regarding two state capture cases at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA). These contracts, worth over R6-billion together, have seen no prosecutions.

The SIU stated that the cases are "still under investigation" and that the forensic firms needed to complete their work have not yet been appointed. The procurement process is reportedly at bid adjudication. The SCOPA had previously received reports dating back to 2015 on these matters. The one conviction recorded was Daniel Mthimkhulu, who lied about his engineering qualifications and is currently in prison.

The Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) has not called any of the key individuals involved in the corruption identified by the Public Protector, National Treasury forensic investigators, courts, and the Zondo Commission. The committee has failed to act on multiple recommendations to summon and investigate key figures such as Sfiso Buthelezi, Lucky Montana, Makhensa Mabunda, Roy Moodley, and Mario Ferreira.

In contrast, the Portfolio Committee on Transport spent its time attacking lawyers who uncovered the corruption instead of the perpetrators. The SCOPA has also faced criticism from the Joint Ethics Committee for not prioritizing the investigation of PRASA corruption. The committee has repeatedly been forced to litigate against Parliament's efforts to obstruct their inquiries.

Despite all this, SCOPA has not called any hearings on the Swifambo and Siyangena contracts, despite these matters being part of the public domain since 2015.