Operations on the Central Line were halted since 2019, with train services resuming on February 23.
Image: Marsha Bothma
The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) is instituting a formal, independent review into allegations of irregular subcontracting linked to the reconstruction of the Cape Town Central Line.
In a statement, PRASA said the allegations raised in recent media 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 alleged 28s gang boss, Ralph Stanfield, may have secured security-related subcontracting opportunities connected to the multibillion-rand Central Line recovery project.
Businesses linked to Stanfield and his wife were allegedly positioned to benefit from security work on the rail corridor after disruptions and violence affected construction activities.
It is also alleged that a company associated with the network received hundreds of millions of rand in security-related contracts between 2022 and 2024.
PRASA said the independent review will examine the claims raised and determine whether any irregularities occurred in relation to subcontracting arrangements connected to the project.
The controversy has also prompted calls for a full investigation from mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.
"I am calling on Prasa to suspend the implicated officials pending a full investigation, establish the total amount of contract-funding that flowed to gang-linked companies, and pursue the black-listing of those companies where applicable.
"The state must shut down all potential avenues of funding to gangsterism, and root out corrupt officials working with the underworld. In this way, we will cut off key funding streams to gang bosses and reduce the scope for organised crime in our city," said Hill-Lewis.
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.
Cape Times