Prasa reinstates fired CEO Zolani Matthews after Labour Court ruling

Zolani Matthews has been reinstated as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA).

Prasa fired Matthews in November 2021, after eight months on the job, for a failure to disclose he also held UK citizenship and thus could not obtain top security clearance.

When Matthews challenged his dismissal, the parties entered a private arbitration process led by retired Judge Robert Nugent, who ruled in April 2022 that Matthews must be reinstated.

Earlier this month, the Labour Court dismissed the rail operator’s bid to review and set aside Nugent’s ruling.

ALSO READ: Prasa fires CEO Zolani Matthews over non-disclosure of UK citizenship

Reinstatement

Following its successive defeats in both an arbitration process and the Labour Court, Prasa has now written to Matthews to notify him of his reinstatement.

“In light of the Labour Court ruling handed down on 1 July 2024, the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has reinstated Mr Zolani Matthews in compliance with the judgment. Considering this decision, PRASA is now in the process of engaging Mr Zolani Matthews to discuss the implications of the judgment.

“The organisation respectfully requests time and space to engage with Mr Matthews accordingly. The PRASA Board of Control remains committed to discharging its duties with the utmost diligence,” Prasa said.

Matthews was appointed by then Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula, who had also appointed the board, chaired by Leonard Ramatlakane.

Prasa fined

Meanwhile, the rail agency was fined R25 000 for contravening the City of Cape Town zoning laws last month when it relocated hundreds of families who had erected shacks on the central railway line tracks to a site in Philippi East.

In February, the City told Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts the land first needed to be rezoned for human habitation. As a result, Prasa faced a potential R800 000 fine.

According to deputy mayor and Mayco member for spatial planning, Eddie Andrews, a land use application was required before Prasa moved the families.

ALSO READ: Prasa fined R25 000 by City of Cape Town for contravening zoning laws