DA guns for Peters on Prasa CEO’s 350% wage increase

The DA said in a written response to a parliamentary question that Peters revealed that Letsoalo was “eligible to receive all the benefits applicable to this position”, which included an annual salary of almost R6 million, or roughly R500 000 per month.

Manny de Freitas, the DA’s shadow minister of transport, said this response was a clear contradiction of the secondment letter Peters sent to Letsoalo and the board of Prasa on July 7 last year in which she allegedly said Letsoalo’s remuneration package would remain unchanged at R1.3 million per annum, plus an additional 12% acting allowance.

“The former minister has, therefore, either misrepresented herself in her response to the DA, or she was untruthful in her secondment confirming that Letsoalo would earn R1.3 million per annum,” De Freitas said.

He added that Peters had a constitutional obligation to answer parliamentary questions truthfully, and she also had an obligation to be transparent and honest.

“She must now account for this obvious discrepancy and, if she is found to have been less than truthful, the DA will ensure that she is held to account. Entities of the department of transport under the leadership of Peters have lurched from one crisis to another, due, in large part, to overpaid and underperforming CEOs, who enjoyed undue protection from the former minister while ordinary workers continue to fight for better wages,” De Freitas added.

He said unions that represent Prasa employees have for the past two months threatened to go on strike.

“Yet, the former minister thought it was appropriate for the acting CEO to earn close to R6 million per annum.

“The DA will not allow Peters or Letsoalo to escape accountability on this matter,” De Freitas said.