For Immediate Release
03rd August 2022
SATAWU CALLS FOR A SWIFT REPORT ON OVER 3000 PRASA ‘GHOST’ EMPLOYEES
The South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU) acknowledges the recent update by the Minister of Transport on 3000 ghost workers that were identified at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), however the organisation is rather concerned and worried about the manner and the pace that the investigation is taking place. We are calling for a swift report on this matter and it must be made available to the public. We want everyone from the board and the management in all the departments to account and take full responsibility on how these criminals ended up on the payroll.
Minister Mbalula revealed early this year that more than three thousand (3000) employees were to be verified at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), it was also revealed that ‘ghost’ employees had fake Identity Documents and fake qualifications. SATAWU is of the view and believes that PRASA lost millions of rands over the past years as a result of ‘ghost’ employees. We are calling for a thorough investigation and no stone must be left unturned in the process, and we want to see those implicated prosecuted and face the law.
We are currently dealing with cable theft and infrastructure vandalism in our Metrorail stations throughout the country and the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa is in a process of refurbishing and rebuilding all the affected corridors and it needs billions of rands to fix the damage done by these criminals, we therefore cannot afford corruption and we will not tolerate any form of maladministration and incompetence at PRASA.
The South African Transport and Allied Workers Union is committed and working very hard to root out corruption wherever it exists in all its sectors. The country is also battling with the high rate of unemployment and if we still have such corruption and criminal cases in our entities, we will not be able to fight against unemployment, poverty and inequality.
SATAWU wishes to reassure its members and workers at PRASA in particular, that once the report is released, the organisation will then take actions against those implicated in this criminality.
Issued by SATAWU
General Secretary Cde Jack Mazibuko: 082 660 4793
Deputy General Secretary Cde Anele Kiet : 071 021 1903
Head of Communications Amanda Tshemese: 062 945 7217