‘Minister has little regard for Prasa or the public’
Board asks Zuma to intervene
Transport Minister Joe Maswanganyi has been told by the remaining Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) board members not to hold them hostage, and appoint replacements or face legal action.
Prasa chairman Popo Molefe and the board accused Maswanganyi of giving them “clearly contradictory and internally inconsistent” instructions.
In correspondence seen by Sowetan, they told the minister he was “prepared to paralyse and hamstring the board and, therefore, the operations of Prasa”.
“You have little regard for your responsibilities, as minister, to protect and advance the interests of Prasa and the public,” reads the lawyer’s letter dated June 27.
The board also accused Maswanganyi of holding it hostage on the critical decisions it must take as its three-year term ends on July 31. “You are prepared to jeopardise ongoing and important investigations and litigation at Prasa. You have incited and condoned insubordination within Prasa.”
The board has given him until tomorrow to render the board quorate or face urgent legal action to compel him to fulfil his statutory duties.
Two weeks ago, Maswanganyi told the board not to take decisions or they will personally be held liable for them.
In response, the board said his letters on June 20 were remarkable and difficult to understand as he had previously asked them to deal with fruitless and wasteful expenditure.
Maswanganyi’s spokesman Ishmael Mnisi said any correspondence between the minister and entities remained confidential until he deemed fit to communicate certain aspects that are in the public interest, to the public.
Molefe could not be reached for comment.
Meanwhile, President Jacob Zuma was earlier drawn into the battle when Molefe wrote to him on May 25. “The purpose of this letter is to seek the intervention of the Presidency in resolving the impasse between the minister of transport and the board of control of Prasa.”
Molefe said he had met Maswanganyi two weeks earlier but the matters he raised were not resolved.
Molefe warned Zuma that the board’s inability to form a quorum would affect the submission of its financial statements to the auditor-general.
Zuma’s spokesman Bongani Ngqulunga did not respond to requests for comment.