Transport Minister, Fikile Mbalula addressing the media on 15 March 2021 in Pretoria. Photo: Gallo Images/Phill Magakoe
Hot off the heels of the ghost worker scam, the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) said it will be filling key vacancies within the company by June 2022.
Here’s what you need to know.
On Tuesday, Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula admitted to Prasa being scammed by some 3,000 ‘ghost workers’, a scam initially uncovered in December.
The rail agency has since stopped the salary payments, and will now commence with efforts to stabilise the entity by filling key vacant positions.
Mbalula said he now faces the “arduous task of getting Prasa back on track, following years of sub-par performance, failure to spend on its capital programmes and corruption.”
While efforts to stabilise the company will go towards recovering commuter rail operations and giving better consideration to operational safety and security, the most pressing matter is to fill key vacancies.
Among the vacant positions to be filled are a group CEO, a chief human capital officer, the chief procurement officer and the Prasa CEO.
Addressing a virtual meeting of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) on Tuesday, Mbalula said this includes “vacancies at senior management level”.
“As of 28 February 2022, a total of 737 employees were acting in various roles across the Prasa Group at a cost of R8,843,649.77. Prasa currently has over 3 500 vacancies nationally”.
According to Mbalula, Prasa has a “vacancy rate of 19%, which remains unacceptably high”.
The focus will now be on “lowering this rate to acceptable levels”.
He said a “new operating model and organisational design will be implemented in a phased manner, commencing at the beginning of the new financial year”.
The vacancies below are advertised on Prasa’s job portal. Each vacancy will have an accompanying PDF detailing the minimum requirements for the job, skills, key outputs and expectations.
Take note of the reference number and forward your application to Nmrecruitment@prasa.com before 29 March 2022.
The Chief Executive Officer position became vacant when the previous group CEO Zolani Matthews’s contract was terminated late last year.
The vacancy was first advertised in March 2022 and “filling the position is a priority”, Prasa said.
David Mphelo is currently acting as group CEO.
The position has been vacant since July 2021, following the passing of the incumbent, Thandeka Mabija. Nonhlanhla Kondowe is currently acting as group human capital officer.
As per Prasa, the vacancy may be affected by the new operating model, which will introduce a shared service model.
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The position was advertised earlier this month, after being vacant since July 2021. Prasa hopes to have this key position secured by June 2022.
Until then, Willie Mathebula will serve as acting chief procurement officer.
This position has been vacant for 13 months and will only be advertised upon implementation of the new organisational structure.
Nelson Malefane is currently acting. As with the chief human capital officer position, the Prasa Rail CEO vacancy will be affected by the new operating model.
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Position | Vacant since | Notes | Currently Acting |
Chief Executive Officer: Prasa CRES | Nov 2021 | Mutual separation with the incumbent | A. Lindeque |
Chief Audit Executive | Nov 2021 | To be filled by June 2022 | J. Mahlangu |
Group Chief Security Officer | Nov 2021 | To be filled by June 2022 | T. Mahenye |
Safety Nominated Manager | Dec 2020 | To be filled by June 2022 | None |
Group Company Secretary | Feb 2021 | To be filled by June 2022 | B. Alexander |
Group CFO | Previous incumbent facing disciplinary process | ||
Executive in the Office of the Group CEO | Subject to pending legal processes | None | |
Group Executive: Legal, Risk and Compliance | Subject to pending legal processes | T. Tsautse |
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