Collins Letsoalo refuses to leave his office at Prasa

Axed Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) acting CEO, Collins Letsoalo, insists he is not going anywhere, despite a decision by the parastatal’s board on Monday to dismiss him after he allegedly hiked his salary from R1.7 million to R5.9 million per annum in October.

Through several media interviews since Tuesday, Letsoalo has maintained he will remain in his current position until Transport Minister Dipou Peters fires him from his job because he was seconded to the rail agency by the minister.

His work contract reportedly states that he can easily be dismissed by the board though.

Prasa’s board unanimously voted to dismiss Letsoalo from his position after a Sunday Times report at the weekend alleged that he increased his salary by 350%.

He apparently demanded a chauffeur‚ among other perks‚ in the R5.9 million package that was earned by former Prasa boss Lucky Montana.

The Times reports that Letsoalo sent an email to the agency’s board on Tuesday informing them he will remain in his position.

He told the tabloid he believes he hasn’t done anything wrong.

“I am still the acting chief executive officer; there is nothing wrong that I have done‚ I have not appointed myself and would never give myself an increase.

“I am seconded by the shareholder and appointed by the board chairperson as acting group CEO and to date no one has informed me of this removal. There is no need for me to even consider moving‚ I have not been told of this removal. My secondment can only be withdrawn by the minister and no one else‚” Letsoalo said.

However, the chairman of the rail agency’s board‚ Popo Molefe‚ told the paper he had received a defiant email from Letsoalo and decided to ignore it.

“He tried to say that the only person who could remove him from his acting position is the minister [Dipuo Peters]‚ as she had seconded him to the position‚ but what Mr Letsoalo fails to understand is that it is a tri-alliance agreement.

“If one party does not agree to the agreement‚ then it does not happen. It’s that simple and there’s nothing to debate about it,” he said.

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