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The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Transport, Mr Donald Selamolela, has commended the work that the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) has been doing in the past financial year.
 
He said the entity’s work will be subjected to oversight when the committee visits all its entities in the second week of October. “We note and appreciate the recovery trajectory the entity is on and the progress thus far, particularly the one recorded in the past financial year. This is what the committee expects: when we raise questions, you answer as effectively as you have done.”
 
He added that the entity’s road to recovery is non-negotiable for the economy and South Africans, who rely heavily on rail to commute to work and pursue work and other economic opportunities.
 
Mr Selamolela said Prasa had the committee’s support in all its recovery efforts and that no one should be spared from accountability when that work is being undertaken.
 
Prasa briefed the committee yesterday (Tuesday) on its annual performance, which improved from about 16% during the outbreak of COVID-19 to an impressive 87%.
 
The committee sought clarity on several issues, including the devolution strategy, former Prasa CEO Zolani Matthews’ settlement, and the efficiency of rail transportation during the Springboks and All Blacks tests, as well as Bafana Bafana’s Afcon qualifier.
 
“The kind of efficiencies we saw during the tests is the kind of Prasa service we want South Africans to experience on a daily basis. We want to see all the things you mentioned about Gibela Consortium (manufacturers of the Blue Trains based on the East Rand in Johannesburg) in practice,” Mr Selamolela said.
 
The committee will visit Prasa and the Gibela manufacturing plant during its oversight week of 11 October 2024. The committee is interested in the public sector participation in government procurement processes and is keen to see it unfold in earnest.

Issued by the Parliamentary Communication Services on behalf of the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Transport, Donald Selamolela