Fixing the train smash that was Prasa

South Africa – Johannesburg – 21 January 2020 – PRASA newly appointed Administrator Bongisizwe Mpondo frankly talks about the challenges he has to deal with to turnaround the parastatal. Picture: Simphiwe Mbokazi/African News Agency(ANA)
JOHANNESBURG – Newly-appointed Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) administrator Bongisizwe Mpondo has vowed to put an end to the state-owned gravy train as he works to restore the rail agency to its former glory.

In December Prasa was placed into administration for 12 months. Mpondo was brought to Prasa last month after Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula lost confidence in the acting board, led by chairperson Khanyisile Kweyama, due to serious governance breaches.

Mpondo in an interview yesterday decried the bad attitude from some of Prasa’s top employees, who do not wish the status quo at the entity to change.

Talking frankly from his office, Mpondo said he had to work doubly hard to make changes as some executives were still loyal to the previous leadership, which was fired in December.

Mpondo said: “We need to be in a very different mode of operating, and ensure that even those that are supposed to lead in the company must be able to lead and not be distracting from the task at hand.

Source: iol.co.za