Funzi Ngobeni Calls for Transparency in Gautrain Governance Amid New Ownership
- ActionSA’s Gauteng Caucus Leader Funzi Ngobeni called for more accountability and transparency from the government
- Ngobeni spoke to Briefly News about the Gauteng Provincial Government’s full ownership of the Gautrain and its search for a new concession partner
- Ngobeni discussed how the provincial government could ensure that the Gautrain’s efficiency is maintained while not neglecting service delivery
With over seven years at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News, Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist, offered insights into South African politics, national, provincial, and local governance, the Government of National Unity, political parties, and Parliament.
Source: Getty Images
JOHANNESBURG, GAUTENG — ActionSA’s Gauteng Caucus Leader Funzi Ngobeni said the provincial government must ensure that the Gautrain continues to run efficiently and smoothly while delivering on much-needed infrastructure development and service delivery-centred governance. He spoke to Briefly News on 5 March 2026 after the Gauteng Provincial Government announced that it would be taking full ownership of the Gautrain and is in the process of acquiring a concession partner for its Public-Private Partnership model.
Ngobeni pointed out the question that emerges from Gauteng’s capability of managing the Gautrain is whether the government has the discipline to protect and manage an asset of that scale properly. He remarked that the Gautrain must become stricter and not weaker.
This can be achieved through transparency, strong financial management, and real operational expertise, which must remain central to how the system is run. ActionSA’s Gauteng Provincial Chairperson observed that the country has seen how infrastructure that once worked well has deteriorated slowly because of a slip in maintenance, a weakening of oversight, and a fading away of operational discipline.
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“The Gautrain remains one of the most important assets in Gauteng’s transport system. It was built to be a modern, reliable service that connects key economic areas across the province, and it has played an important role in that regard.”
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Transparency in selecting concession partner: Ngobeni
Ngobeni also told Briefly News that the procurement process for a new concession partner must be open, competitive, and fully transparent from start to finish. This was because this decision will shape the future of the Gautrain for many years. Ngobeni added that to ensure that the Gautrain does not deteriorate like other state rail services, maintenance budgets must be protected, operational expertise must remain at the centre of management decisions, and financial oversight must remain strict. He added that the Gautrain worked because it was built on strong operational management, proper maintenance planning, and clear accountability.
“Rail systems collapse when maintenance is neglected, and accountability disappears. If Gautrain is to remain a premium service, those fundamentals must never be compromised,” Ngobeni observed.
Ngoveni also reminded the provincial government to keep the basics in focus. He said that the first responsibility of the government is to stabilise the foundations. He observed that for most residents, government is experienced through basic services like reliable water, functioning roads, safe communities, and working infrastructure. Ngobeni observed that long-term expansion must go hand-in-hand with fixing what already exists.
3 Briefly News about ActionSA
- ActionSA criticised Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s State of the Province Address, which he delivered on 23 February 2026. Ngobeni said in a statement that Gauteng has a shortage of maintenance and proper asset management, but no shortage of speeches and recurring promises.
- ActionSA president Herman Mashaba said he would collapse municipal entities if he became the new mayor of Johannesburg. He said he was confident that he could restore the city to its former glory.
- ActionSA slammed Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie and accused him of not fully disclosing the costs of more than 20 international trips. These included trips to Morocco, India, Brazil, Russia, Singapore, and Spain.
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Source: Briefly News
