Cape Town – The embattled Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) has placed its regional manager Richard Walker on paid leave, saying the Western Cape’s rail service has proven to be the most troubled of all networks.
The decision follows Prasa having been placed under administration two months ago.
Administrator Bongisizwe Mpondo visited all regions to engage employees, to get a first-hand account of the troubles besetting the state-owned enterprise.
In a scathing statement yesterday, Prasa spokesperson Makhosini Mgitywa said the Western Cape was faced with a number of problems regarding its provision of reliable and safe train operations to commuters.
“The Western Cape has so far proven to be the most troubled among all of Prasa’s regions.
“It has experienced multiple challenges and lapses as the operating unit, which have led to passengers, commuters and stakeholders losing confidence in the business.
“The appointment of regional engineering manager Raymond Maseko, as acting regional manager of Prasa rail operations, is aimed at stabilising the region and improving performance.
“Maseko assumes his new responsibilities with immediate effect.
“Meanwhile, regional manager Richard Walker has been placed on paid leave, while the organisation attends to the numerous challenges in the region,” Mgitywa said.
Walker could not be reached for comment yesterday and did not respond to text messages.
The United National Transport Union (Untu) has been very vocal about their concerns over Prasa.
Untu deputy general secretary Sonja Carstens said the union welcomed the decision to place Walker on leave.
“We have had a very difficult relationship with him.
“When the torching of trains began three years ago, we asked the courts and chief executives to remove him from the Western Cape,” Carstens said.
Last week, commuter activist group #UniteBehind said they believed it would be impossible to expect one person to be able to fix the “tragic chaos” in the rail service.
They called for a permanent board, made up of experienced and committed people.
Group media and communications officer Matthew Hirsch said they believed Walker did not fulfill his mandate and that Maseko, like Walker, would be “hamstrung by Prasa’s centralised structure”.
“He will need a disaster management team, of at least 10 people, to assist in restoring Prasa to working order, fixing Prasa is not the task of one man,” Hirsch said.
He said it was their understanding that the administration was unlawfully appointed, which left every decision he makes questionable.