Former board chairperson of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) Popo Molefe has charged that the removal of the agency’s board will scupper the process of appointing a permanent boss.
He and other axed board members are lodging an urgent court application to reverse their removal by transport minister Dipuo Peters and to interdict her from appointing a new board.
In his founding affidavit‚ Molefe said a permanent Group Chief Executive Officer must be appointed as a matter of urgency‚ saying the removed board members were integrally involved in the process of appointing a permanent GCEO.
He said since the consideration of the permanent CEO applicants was scheduled for 16 March 2017‚ after the deadline for applicants expires‚ it was critical for the removed directors to see this process to completion.
“Even if a replacement board would be appointed‚ it would enter this process mid-stream‚ and this may compromise or completely scupper the process‚” he states in the affidavit.
Molefe further said the removed directors were involved‚ almost daily‚ in consultations pertaining to progress of civil and criminal matters‚ investigations as well as strategic matters related to Prasa’s rail services businesses.
He states that parachuting in a new board‚ with no background or institutional knowledge of these matters could only compromise the functioning of a critical public institution.
Molefe said Peters’ decision was an “abuse of public power” and an “irrational exercise of statutory power”.
“The minister failed to provide any basis … for taking the drastic step of wholesale removal of the applicants and effective decapitation of the governance structure at Prasa‚” he says in the affidavit.
Molefe states that the minister could not remove the Board “simply because she wants to do so”.
Peters unveiled the new board‚ chaired by former SA National Roads Agency boss Nazir Ali‚ in Pretoria on Monday‚ after axing their predecessors last week.
Other board members include union boss Frans Baleni‚ former transport department spokesman Tiyani Rikhotso‚ SA Local Government Association boss Xolile George‚ as well as a representative from National Treasury.
— TMG Digital
Prasa board removal will derail appointment of permanent boss: Molefe
Former board chairperson of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) Popo Molefe has charged that the removal of the agency’s board will scupper the process of appointing a permanent boss.
He and other axed board members are lodging an urgent court application to reverse their removal by transport minister Dipuo Peters and to interdict her from appointing a new board.
In his founding affidavit‚ Molefe said a permanent Group Chief Executive Officer must be appointed as a matter of urgency‚ saying the removed board members were integrally involved in the process of appointing a permanent GCEO.
He said since the consideration of the permanent CEO applicants was scheduled for 16 March 2017‚ after the deadline for applicants expires‚ it was critical for the removed directors to see this process to completion.
“Even if a replacement board would be appointed‚ it would enter this process mid-stream‚ and this may compromise or completely scupper the process‚” he states in the affidavit.
Molefe further said the removed directors were involved‚ almost daily‚ in consultations pertaining to progress of civil and criminal matters‚ investigations as well as strategic matters related to Prasa’s rail services businesses.
He states that parachuting in a new board‚ with no background or institutional knowledge of these matters could only compromise the functioning of a critical public institution.
Molefe said Peters’ decision was an “abuse of public power” and an “irrational exercise of statutory power”.
“The minister failed to provide any basis … for taking the drastic step of wholesale removal of the applicants and effective decapitation of the governance structure at Prasa‚” he says in the affidavit.
Molefe states that the minister could not remove the Board “simply because she wants to do so”.
Peters unveiled the new board‚ chaired by former SA National Roads Agency boss Nazir Ali‚ in Pretoria on Monday‚ after axing their predecessors last week.
Other board members include union boss Frans Baleni‚ former transport department spokesman Tiyani Rikhotso‚ SA Local Government Association boss Xolile George‚ as well as a representative from National Treasury.
— TMG Digital
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