Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has called on the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) to investigate allegations that companies linked to an alleged gang boss may have benefited from security contracts tied to the reconstruction of Cape Town’s Central Line.
The call follows an investigative report by the amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism, which claims that companies connected to Ralph Stanfield and his wife, Nicole Johnson, positioned themselves as subcontractors during the rebuilding of the rail corridor.
The report alleges that violent disruptions along the line created pressure for additional security services, after which companies linked to the couple were brought into the project. One such company, Mzansi Securifire, is reported to have received contracts worth about R600 million between 2022 and 2024.
Hill-Lewis said the allegations require urgent scrutiny and accountability.
“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 blacklisting of those companies where applicable,” Hill-Lewis said.
The mayor also warned that organised crime must not benefit from public funds.
“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,” he added.
Concerns have also been raised about the alleged involvement of a senior police official. The report claims that in September 2022, a meeting was held at Manenberg Police Station where representatives of two security companies linked to Stanfield were introduced to a Prasa contractor as potential subcontractors.
Hill-Lewis said the allegations involving the police are particularly serious.
“The implications of gang infiltration into SAPS are simply too serious to ignore. I call on the SAPS Provincial Commissioner to initiate a full investigation into the circumstances of this meeting,” he said.
It is further alleged that Prasa’s security chief promoted Stanfield-linked companies despite resistance from contractors, who later raised their concerns with Prasa CEO Hisham Emeran.
Hill-Lewis said Emeran should clarify whether he was aware of the alleged gang links.
Prasa has indicated that it has no comment at this stage regarding the allegations.
Photo: Sourced
