Transport Minister Ben Martins reported earlier this month that the process of selecting a black equity partner for Gibela Rail Transportation – a consortium comprising French multinational Alstom and local engineering company Actom, which would supply passenger trains to the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) – would soon be finalised.
In December, Prasa confirmed that the Gibela consortium had been awarded the R51-billion contract to supply 3 600 passenger trains to the utility over a ten-year period, from 2015 to 2025. It would also provide maintenance, technical support and spares over a period of 18 years.
The contract would also include the spending of R797-million on skills development initiatives, R32.8-billion on subcontracting to black-empowered entities and R5.3-billion on subcontracting to qualifying small enter- prises and exempted micro- enterprises.
Martins noted that 8 088 direct jobs were expected to be created during the course of the contract and that a local-content target of 69% would be achieved in year two.
Gibela’s appointed broad-based black economic-empowerment partner would obtain 30% of the shares in the consortium.
Martins further stated that major infrastructure and signalling upgrades were currently under way on the corridors where the new rolling stock would be deployed and that depots would be upgraded in Pretoria, Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban to accommodate the new rolling stock.
“This work by Prasa and other State-owned companies shows important strides to drive holistic economic growth through the infrastructure investment programme.”