Pretoria – Acting chief executive of the beleaguered Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa), Collins Letsoalo, on Monday refuted allegations that he had demanded a massive pay hike as well that he receive benefits he was allegedly not entitled to.
"No amount of subterfuge of people masquerading around as having a good interest of Prasa, and yet they don't, will deter me from fighting corruption at Prasa," Letsoalo said during a media briefing.
According a Sunday Times article over the weekend, Letsoalo, who had been brought into Prasa as "Mr Fix-It", had raised his salary by 350 percent from R1.3 million to R5.9 million, demanded a chauffeur-driven vehicle and a company cellphone with unlimited calls just like former boss Lucky Montana.
Montana was fired in July 2015 following damning findings by the public protector implicating him in alleged corruption and maladministration related to tenders worth billions of rand. Letsoalo was seconded to Prasa by Transport Minister Dipuo Peters in July last year to turn the agency's fortunes around after it bled R13.9-billion because of irregular contracts.
The Sunday Times said Peters sent a secondment letter to Letsoalo and Prasa chair Popo Molefe, making it clear that Letsoalo's pay package of R1.3 million from the Transport Department would not change, but would receive a 12 percent "acting allowance".
However, Letsoalo released his appointment letter, which confirmed that he was entitled to the benefits of the chief executive for the duration of his acting in the position.
Under "compensation and benefits", the letter reads: "During the term of service as acting group CEO, the Prasa will pay you at the annualised salary rate applicable to this position and in accordance with the applicable remuneration police... You will be eligible to receive all benefits applicable to this position and to the Prasa senior officers".
Letsoalo said: "The Sunday Times story seeks to undermine the work that I have been doing. We gave them the letter of my appointment by they chose to ignore it. By the way, I spent four months at Prasa without being paid".
He also dismissed the Sunday Times' allegation that he had fired the group executive for human capital, Bhekani Khumalo, after he declined to meet his demands.
"It is not true the Bhekani Khumalo was fired. He continues to be under the employ of Prasa," Letsoalo said. In a letter dated October 26, general manager of remuneration and benefits, Bongani Nkomo, confirmed that "the annual remuneration package of Prasa group chief executive is R5 985 140.07".
Letsoalo said these allegations against him were the beginning of a media onslaught and he was aware of the people behind it, but declined to name them.
"I am aware that this is the beginning of a media assault. There are three articles already lined up. There is one coming this Sunday, There is another coming the following Sunday coming from an unholy alliance between those that seek to destabilise Prasa, and it looks like the media."
He said he was disappointed with the kind of journalism displayed in the weekend paper story, saying that it tarnished the good work done by journalists in the country. Letsoalo said he was demanding that the Sunday Times "print an apology in BOLD letters on the front page, not the 4th page".
Adding: "I am yet to decide whether to approach the Press Ombudsman with regard to the Sunday Times story or defamatory suit against them".