In a surprising turn of events, the Ministry of Transport has announced the dismissal of Mr Leonard Ramatlakane from his roles as a Board Member and Chairperson of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA). This decision comes in the wake of an internal investigation into the misuse of a PRASA-owned property in Cape Town.
The investigation revealed that Ramatlakane had not adhered to the necessary processes when using the property, leading to his dismissal. The Ministry has not yet disclosed further details about the nature of the misuse or the specific property involved.
Despite the circumstances of his departure, Transport Minister Chikunga praised Ramatlakane for his leadership and significant contributions to PRASA’s Rail Recovery Programme. Under his stewardship, the agency successfully restored thirteen rail lines, surpassing the initial target of ten.
Chikunga stated, “It is under his watch that PRASA was able to restore a sizable number of PRASA Rail services in various Metros in the Country – which has ensured that PRASA Rail reclaims its status as a mass mover of commuters in the Republic.”
Ramatlakane’s tenure was marked by the challenge of recovering rail lines and stations damaged by vandalism during the lockdown period. The Rail Recovery Programme, a robust government response to this destruction, has been instrumental in restoring PRASA’s capacity to serve as a major commuter service provider.
Despite the setback of Ramatlakane’s dismissal, the Ministry of Transport remains committed to clean administration and governance across its entities. It is expected that the Ministry will soon announce a successor to continue the work of the Rail Recovery Programme and uphold the integrity of PRASA’s operations.
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