High Court gives Mbalula 60 days to appoint new Prasa board
The appointment of Bongisizwe Mpondo as the sole administrator of the Passenger Rail Association of South Africa (Prasa) has been ruled unlawful.
The Western Cape High Court ruled on Tuesday that Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula’s appointment of Mpondo was not in accordance with the law.
Judge Nathan Erasmus ruled in favour of commuter activist group #UniteBehind.
Mbalula says he’s still studying the judgment.
“The judgment of today we will look into that and then we will make our views known. The Minister of Transport has never had a view that says that the board at Prasa must not be appointed. I want to work with all people that want to fight the rot at Prasa and we continue to do so.
“I’ve got no intention to undermine the law and where I am being judged, I will apply my mind, go back to the drawing board. My team will advise in relation to whether or not there are certain things to ventilate further, but my intention about Prasa is to get things going.”
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Under level 2, interprovincial travel is permitted for leisure and business purposes with only some restrictions. Buses and minibuses traveling beyond 200km are permitted to carry 70% capacity. Short-distance public transport of 200km or less, buses, minibuses, midibuses, e-hailing services, metered taxis, shuttle service, chauffeur-driven vehicles, and scholar transport vehicles are permitted to carry 100% of their maximum license capacity.
Last year, Mbalula dissolved the interim Prasa board and placed the ailing railway agency under administration.
Mpondo was the appointed the sole administrator.
Mbalula vowed to clean up the agency.
“The stories that I hear at the Zondo commission about Prasa, definitely my team is not party to that. I’m not party to that and we are not going to execute and behave as though it is business as usual – it’s not.
“Our interventions have also been motivated by moving with speed and by ensuring that we preserve some dignity for the institution and over and above defend the resources of the people of South Africa,” he added.
Mbalula was ordered to appoint a new board within 60 days.