Now leaderless Prasa must urgently report to Parliament

16 July 2015

Release: immediate

It has just been reported that the CEO of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa), Lucky Montana, was yesterday released from serving his notice period, which would have ended in December this year. Prasa is now without a CEO.

Mr Montana resigned in June this year and was serving out a six month notice period.

The Board of Prasa resolved to release Montana early, at a time when the parastatal is swirling in controversy over numerous allegations – including buying trains that are too large for our tracks, its head of engineering services being unqualified, and failing to hedge the exchange rate on the contract for the new trains, which will drive up the contract price significantly.

These allegations and the releasing of Mr Montana from his notice period five months before he was meant to leave only reinforces the DA’s call for the Minister of Transport and Prasa to come to Parliament to account for the increasing number of worrying allegations against the company. 

Both the Minister and Prasa now have no choice but to urgently appear before Parliament to account for these scandals. 

The Minister has been conspicuous in her absence and has yet to show any leadership in dealing with these allegations as the political head. It is high time that she breaks her silence.

Millions of South Africans rely heavily on trains to get them around every day. This is why it is so vital that the apparent rot at Prasa is halted immediately and that the allegations are answered in a transparent manner.

Statement issued by Manny de Freitas MP, DA Shadow Minister of Transport, July 16 2015