Former Chairperson of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) and current Member of Parliament, Sfiso Buthelezi, is facing allegations of corruption during his time at PRASA. These claims were made by Zackie Achmat, Director of commuter activist group #UniteBehind, during an interview on Radio 702 in April.

Allegations of Corruption and Defamation Lawsuit

Achmat alleged that Buthelezi and his companies personally profited from corruption amounting to at least R120-million. He also mentioned that Treasury investigations found that Buthelezi should be charged, and that charges were laid against him, but no action has been taken. In response, Buthelezi threatened to sue Achmat for defamation and demanded a written retraction, public apology, and R2-million in damages for reputational harm.

#UniteBehind Refuses to Back Down

UniteBehind has refused to back down, stating that they will not be intimidated by Buthelezi’s threats and will defend their right to freedom of speech. According to the organization, they are now the target of a strategic litigation against public participation (SLAPP) suit. They demand that the Speaker of Parliament immediately remove Buthelezi as the Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Appropriations (SCOA), that the ANC remove Buthelezi as an MP, and that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) prosecute Buthelezi diligently and without delay.

Reports of Corruption at PRASA

UniteBehind has pointed to several reports detailing corruption at PRASA, including former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s Derailed report, findings from the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, the Auditor-General’s report from 2022, and #PRASALeaks. They allege that the PRASA Board, under Buthelezi’s leadership, maintained almost no oversight of the many unlawful contracts concluded during this period, instead facilitating corruption.

Parliamentary Response

Parliamentary spokesperson Moloto Mothapo clarified that any allegations of wrongdoing by a member of the public against a member of parliament must be filed as a complaint with the ethics committee, as the Speaker does not have the authority to arbitrarily investigate or dismiss Members of Parliament. Last year, #UniteBehind filed complaints against six MPs, including Buthelezi, hoping that Parliament’s Joint Committee on Ethics and Members’ Interests would hold them accountable for their involvement in corruption at PRASA. In April this year, #UniteBehind launched court action against the parliamentary committee for failing to act on its complaints.

Legal Proceedings Continue

At this stage, Buthelezi’s legal representative, Gcwali Makhathini, has stated that Buthelezi has no comment on the matter. The legal proceedings continue, and it remains to be seen whether the accusations against Buthelezi will result in any concrete action or consequences.