Fired Prasa board takes minister to court
Transport Minister Dipuo Peters Transport Minister Dipuo Peters
Fired Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) chairman Popo Molefe and his board colleagues will take their matter to the Gauteng North High Court on Thursday to challenge their dismissal and the appointment of an interim board by Transport Minister Dipuo Peters.
In his founding affidavit, Molefe accuses the minister of removing the board of Prasa in a bid to block its probe into wasteful, fruitless, and irregular spending totalling some R14 billion.
“The minister’s action interferes with the ongoing investigations at Prasa and may be an effort to frustrate the successful outcome of these investigations,” Molefe says.
“The removal of the relevant directors clearly threatens the constitutional principle of legality, the operations in Prasa, the values of transparency and openness, and the continued viability and finalisation of the Prasa investigation.”
Peters dismissed the Prasa board last week on Wednesday, days after she was forced to remove acting CEO Collins Letsaolo from the entity.
Letsaolo, who has been seconded from the department, came under the spotlight after it emerged his salary was hiked by 350% to R5.9m causing a public fallout with the board.
Molefe and several board members are seeking an urgent interdict to overturn their sacking and the appointment of the interim board.