Cape Town - The United National Transport Union (Untu) on Friday, called on the public protector to investigate the decision by the newly appointed board of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) to appoint Cromet Molepo as the new acting chief executive officer (CEO).
“The new board, who was only appointed in October themselves, never could have had the opportunity to evaluate possible suitable candidates to enable them to make a recommendation as to who should be appointed as acting CEO. They simply did not have the time or enough board meetings since their own appointment,” Untu general secretary Steve Harris said.
“The Prasa board should immediately release the criteria they followed and the names of the candidates they considered and indicate what did they as a board do to avail themselves as to who is the best. This is just yet another politically motivated appointment, South Africa has seen way too many of at state-owned enterprises, to the detriment of the South African taxpayer.”
Molepo was appointed with immediate effect on Wednesday, after Lindikhaya Zide's six-month contract lapsed at the end of September.
Zide was appointed in April to stabilise the crippled service after the former Prasa-Board decided to end the contract of Collins Letsoalo after he gave himself a salary of R5.9 million.
After Zide’s appointment, Untu repeatedly called on the former board and the new Transport Minister, Joe Maswanganyi, to finalise the appointment of the chief executive officer as Prasa desperately needed stability and continuity in its leadership.