The South Africa Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU) welcomes the decision by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) Board of Management (BoM) to place the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO)-Mr Zolani Matthews- on precautionary suspension.
Although the details and/or allegations that informed the precautionary suspension were not detailed in the statement issued by the PRASA BoM on 19 November 2021, we appreciate the efforts to ensure that reasonable steps were taken to protect the interests and the image of the passenger rail agency. Irrespective of the outcomes of the matter, the union is optimistic that PRASA BoM is gradually restoring principles of good corporate governance provided that board members acted independently and in line with the rules, applicable legislation and laws governing the state-owned enterprise (SOE). In short, the decision to suspend the GCEO must not expose the state entity to unnecessary risks such as litigation. Moreover, the process at hand must be expedited to save PRASA unwanted costs.
SATAWU has requested an urgent meeting with the BoM to fully understand the details of the precautionary suspension. This will enable the union to report to members accordingly, on one hand, and to allay fears of the unknown if there are any, on the other. Lastly, SATAWU commits that it will in the interim work with the AGCEO (Acting Group Chief Executive Officer), on condition that all outstanding and unresolved matters affecting both PRASA and Autopax employees are amicably addressed without delay. The union will equally support the AGCEO in turning the rail agency around after worker concerns, demands and struggles are resolved. Following our meeting with the BoM, the union will provide both members and its constituencies with a detailed report concerning the developments in question.
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Issued by: South African Transport & Allied Workers Union
For more information, contact
SATAWU General Secretary: Jack Mazibuko: 082 660 4793
SATAWU Deputy General Secretary: Anele Kiet: 071 021 1903