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Prasa train supplier bags extra R335m

Johannesburg - Swifambo Rail Leasing, the company that won the multi-billion rand contract to, among others, deliver the controversial Afro 4000 locomotives to the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa), has pocketed an extra R335m, Netwerk24 reported on Wednesday.

This comes after "Dr" Daniel Mtimkulu, Prasa's former chief engineer, in 2014 requested a critical contract variation for the locomotives.

In April 2014, more than a year after Swifambo clinched the R3.5bn deal to deliver 70 new locomotives to Prasa, Mtimkulu sent a memorandum to former Prasa CEO Lucky Montana asking for an additional R335m for the contract.

READ: Safety body releases report on Prasa’s Afro 4000 locomotives

Mtimkulu argued in the memorandum: "During the negotiations for finalisation of the specification, the Prasa team released (sic) that the systems that came with the locomotives per the Swifambo proposal to Prasa were rudimentary and therefore needed to be upgraded to ensure that the locomotives are fitted and assembled with the latest technology."

Mtimkulu claimed in the memorandum the extra R335m was needed for an updated control system, electrical system, traction system, air-brake system and bogie system.

"Therefore it was agreed with Swifambo that the systems to (sic) the locomotives will be upgraded at an additional cost to Prasa," wrote Mtimkulu.

The request was sent to Montana on 11 April 2014. Montana and "Dr" Josephat Phungula, Prasa's former procurement chief, approved the request on the same day.

Phungula has since resigned after it came to light that he allegedly lied about his qualifications.

This came after Swifambo already sent his bill for "additional systems" to Prasa on April 3.

The R335m was paid to Swifambo in May 2014.

The memorandum and invoice is part of the court documents Popo Molefe, chairperson of the Prasa board, recently submitted to the Johannesburg High Court in an attempt to have the contract set aside.

READ: Prasa alleges tender rigging in court filing

"The suggestion that the proposal was rudimentary is nonsensical. The locomotives offered by Swifambo were state of the art, and the systems mentioned in the memorandum were standard features," states Molefe in his sworn affidavit.

Swifambo MD Auswell Mashaba referred any inquiries about the payment to Prasa. "You’re asking the wrong person. You need to ask the people who sent the e-mails for comment because it was a Prasa employee that sent an e-mail to another employee."

When Netwerk24 asked him for comment on the invoice Swifambo sent to Prasa, he said: "I've never sent an invoice. Do you see Auswell Mashaba's name anywhere? It's irrelevant who I am (the director of Swifambo). Withdraw your statement, because you're lying. What's the matter, are you crazy? I do not want to talk to you, because you're talking as if you're crazy."

Montana could not be reached for comment.

* For the full article and more news in Afrikaans, visit Netwerk24.


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