EFF STATEMENT ON COURT JUDGEMENT TO SET ASIDE SWIFAMBO TENDER OF PRASA

Tuesday, July 4, 2017

The EFF welcomes the Johannesburg High Court judgement to set aside Swifamo Rail Leasing tender of PRASA’s oversized trains. Judge J Francis on Monday ruled that PRASA’s R3.5 billion contract be set aside and he cited the corrupt manner in which the contract was awarded.

Given the court judgement the contract, which was illegally and corruptly awarded by the former Chairperson of PRASA Board, now Deputy Minister of Finance Mr. Sfiso Buthelezi, should have never existed. The court correctly recognised that “corruption will triumph if this court does not set aside the tender." The ruling of the court clearly demonstrates that Mr. Buthelezi is corrupt and not to be trusted with the Portfolio of Finance as deputy minister. This is a clear demonstration of Mr. Zuma’s intention to loot Treasury money.

The little known and experienced Swifambo Rail Leasing should have never been awarded such a tender, and as such PRASA should therefore return all the locomotives delivered to date back to Europe at the expense of those that produced them and recoup every cent it has paid so far for 70 new locomotives.

The EFF is extremely concerned that PRASA chairperson of the Board had to go to court to force the Hawks to investigate the tender that has now been set aside as corrupt and irregular. The fact is that Mr. Zuma has collapsed such critical institutions such as NPA, SIU and the Hawks by appointing cronies and corrupt people to ensure that such corruption is never thoroughly investigated.

The EFF calls for institutions of criminal inquiry into the Swifambo Rail Leasing tender, those that awarded the tender including Mr. Buthelezi and those who are beneficiaries of corruption proceeds. The EFF further calls on civil society and all patriotic South Africans to approach courts to set aside all illegally awarded tenders because the ANC government has clearly illustrated that it is not interested to stop corruption.

Statement issued by the Economic Freedom Fighters, 4 July 2017