Mbalula says his department will be working with the National Treasury to scrutinise the delayed and controversial project where millions of rands have been spent with little results. He says the investigation into the Free State's only metro will be concluded before September this year. Mbalula adds that investigators are set to investigate the alleged price inflation of buses bought for the Hauweng project and they will investigate the infrastructure.

"They will do the work without fear or favour. They will start with the buses and also go to the infrastructure. They will bring the report and the report will be processed. Where there are corruption allegations, it will be forwarded to the Hawks, Investigative Directorate (ID) and Special Investigation Unit (SIU) to help with this investigation. We are on top of the situation, the real work has actually started and that's why we are here today (Monday)," he adds.

OFM News previously reported that the request for the forensic report follows stringent allegations of massive fraud and corruption in the project, with further allegations that ten buses were procured through a lease contract and facilitation process that involved a middle man who scored a facilitation fee of about R20 million.

It’s alleged that the metro has missed at least six deadlines in phase 1 to complete the IPTN project, after numerous warnings by the Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Transport. 

The cost of the project have allegedly been at least R2 billion since its commencement in 2016, with feasibility studies that are said to have started in 2011, including accruals that ran into millions of rand at the ailing metro.

OFM News