The Hawks, South Africa’s Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, raided the headquarters of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) in Braamfontein, Gauteng, on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, as part of their investigation into an alleged R18 billion tender scandal[1].
During the operation, officers focused on the offices of senior executives, seizing key evidence such as laptops, cell phones, and various documents. The Hawks have kept further details confidential to protect the integrity of the investigation. Brigadier Thandi Mabombo, the Hawks’ national spokesperson, stated: “To protect the integrity of our investigation, we cannot disclose details about that operation.” Prasa officials have declined to comment on the ongoing investigation[1].
The raid follows previous allegations, brought to light by a whistleblower, that two tenders awarded to Maziya General Services (for a communications-railway redundancy network) were unprocedurally granted in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, and Western Cape, with advance payments of nearly R2.7 billion and a total tender value of R17.4 billion. However, subsequent documents suggest the whistleblower may have exaggerated or fabricated aspects of the report, as financial records showed legitimate bid bonds issued by Standard Bank[1].
This action by the Hawks comes amid broader scrutiny: In May 2025, Open Secrets filed a court application to address the prolonged delays by the Hawks and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in concluding PRASA corruption investigations and prosecuting implicated parties. The legal action seeks judicial review to declare such delays unlawful[2][3].
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