Geordin Hill-Lewis calls for PRASA investigation over alleged gang connections
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis calls for a thorough investigation into alleged gang links in PRASA contracts.
Image: File
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has called for a full PRASA investigation into alleged gang links involving Ralph Stanfield in R600 million central line contracts, following an AmaBhungane report.
The investigation suggests that Stanfield, an alleged 28s gang boss currently on trial with his wife, Nicole Johnson, for 41 charges under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, used PRASA's security chief to secure a share of the multi-billion-rand reconstruction project.
Companies linked to him, including Mzansi Securifire (R600 million in contracts), became subcontractors following violent disruptions that necessitated security solutions.
Hill-Lewis called for the suspension of implicated officials, establishing the total funding given to gang-linked companies, and their blacklisting, citing the City's successful track record in this area. He stressed the need to "shut down all potential avenues of funding to gangsterism."
The Mayor added that it was further concerning that the alleged involvement of a senior SAPS official. AmaBhungane alleges that on September 6, 2022, the acting Bishop Lavis police station commissioner convened a meeting at Manenberg Police Station with crime intelligence, PRASA executives, and a main contractor, where Stanfield-linked SMME security companies—GParm Protection Services, PPE Security and Projects, and Yibaninati (founded by Stanfield's wife, Nicole Johnson)—were introduced to address the security situation.
The investigative report alleges that violent disruptions of the Central Line project created pressure for security solutions, allowing companies linked to Stanfield and Johnson to position themselves as subcontractors in the reconstruction contracts, particularly through Mzansi Securifire, which received approximately R600 million in central line contracts from 2022 to 2024.
Accused gang boss Ralph Stanfield.
Image: File
Hill-Lewis also demanded that PRASA CEO Hishaam Emeran "explain" his reported comments after contractor pushback, which culminated in a request for contractors to formally document their "reservations" about onboarding the identified SMMEs.
‘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," he said.
SAPS involvement in pushing for Stanfield-linked companies?
"The implications of gang infiltration into the SAPS are simply too serious to ignore. That is why I further call on the SAPS Provincial Commissioner to initiate a full investigation into the circumstances of this meeting at Manenberg Police Station, where an acting SAPS station commander is said to have actively promoted Stanfield-linked security SMMEs to a PRASA contractor. There were several people reportedly present – including PRASA officials and the contractor – who can account for the true events of that day."
The Mayor added that all of this is in the context of PRASA’s security chief allegedly actively promoting Stanfield-linked companies, even in the face of contractor pushback, seemingly in an attempt to get PRASA’s procurement machinery to adjust the main contracts so that they could allegedly subcontract Stanfield-Johnson-linked companies as their security providers.
Further, the Mayor said it is reported that the contractor pushback culminated on September 20, 2022, with PRASA’s Western Cape lead programme manager emailing the central line main contractors to indicate that he had raised their concerns with PRASA CEO, Hishaam Emeran, who had asked that the contractors duly inform PRASA in writing about ‘your reservations around the onboarding of the identified SMMEs and the facilitators.’
PRASA CEO Hishaam Emeran is urged to explain his comments regarding contractor concerns linked to gang infiltration in security contracts.
Image: Supplied
‘Mr Emeran should explain these comments, and whether he knew of these gang links or not,’ said Mayor Hill-Lewis.
PRASA's National Spokesperson, Andiswa Makanda said their office was not in a position to comment as yet
Cape Crime Crisis Coalition (C4), a civic organisation said it was aware of the alleged infiltration: “We fully support the call for a criminal enquiry to be open to come to the bottom of these allegations.”
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