PRASA CEO allegedly forced out because he refused jobs for pals instructions

1 March 2019

The Democratic Alliance has been reliably informed by a source in the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) of the real reasons behind the resignation of Interim Group CEO, Sibusiso Sithole, with immediate effect.

On Thursday, the PRASA Board issued a surprise “Internal Communiqué” which announced the resignation of Sithole with immediate effect.  Sithole has held this position for a mere 9 months.

A whistle blower has revealed to the DA that although Sithole has proved to have been utterly ineffectual in handling the myriad of challenges facing PRASA, this was not the real reason for his resignation.

Our source says that Sithole was in fact pushed out by the Board and Transport Minister Blade Nzimande because he refused to heed to their bidding to appoint certain people into strategic positions within this parastatal.  It is clear that the corruption and rot within PRASA is continuing unabated.

Information revealed to the DA is that with only a few weeks before the elections, the Minister is allegedly desperate to do “something dramatic” with PRASA as part of the ANC’s election campaign.

The DA is further concerned that Dr Nkosinathi Sishi has been appointed as acting Group CEO as he has no operational experience in the transport sector and the rail environment in particular.

The DA will be tabling a statement in the National Assembly on this matter and will also be writing to Minister Nzimande to ask the reasons behind the appointment considering that there are many good officials with vast experience within PRASA that could’ve been appointed as acting Group CEO.

The DA will not allow the continued corruption and the looting of the state without a challenge and we will continue to keep a keen eye on the developments at PRASA.

Issued by Manny De Freitas, DA Shadow Minister of Transport, 1 March 2019