Parliament - The South African Portfolio Committee on Transport has welcomed the appointment of a permanent Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa).
Committee Chairperson Mosebenzi Zwane said the appointment, of Zolani Kgosie Matthews, would bring stability to the entity which has been without a CEO since 2015.
“Prasa is a crucial entity not only for job creation, but also for providing a service that enables many poor South Africans to access job opportunities,” Zwane said.
“We welcome this positive initiative which, in no smaller measure, strengthens the board of directors and what they want to achieve.”
Zwane also pointed out that much of vandalism had occurred on South Africa’s rail infrastructure, rendering the entity mostly dysfunctional.
“This appointment must help assist Prasa to get back trains on the rails,” he added.
“Furthermore, the appointment of the CEO must help Prasa realise its mandate to transport poor South Africans.”
Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula announced Matthews’ appointment as Prasa CEO on Saturday. This follows the recent announcement of a new board. Zwane said Prasa’s important task is to revive rail infrastructure and such a task requires all to work together for better Prasa.
He said a special focus should be on the productive lines for the entity like the central line in Cape Town and Mabopane in Johannesburg.
IOL