Cabinet approves appointments of CEOs at Prasa and SA Post Office

The cabinet has approved the appointment of Zolani Matthews as the new group CEO of the troubled Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa).

This was confirmed by acting minister in the presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, who was addressing a post-cabinet media briefing on Friday.

Prasa has been battling with stability in its management for the past four years, having had seven acting CEOs.

Matthews will replace Thandeka Mabija, who was appointed as acting CEO late last year by the new Prasa board.

In 2019, transport minister Fikile Mbalula fired the board of Prasa and its then acting CEO, Nkosinathi Sishi, and appointed Bongizizwe Mpondo as an administrator. 

However in August last year, the Western Cape High Court declared the appointment unlawful and overturned it, forcing Mbalula to appoint a new board led by former Western Cape acting premier Leonard Ramatlakane.

Matthews has served as a board member in a number of companies, including parastatals. 

His last posting was as a councillor of the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) and he was sworn in last year in September to serve for four years.

In June last year, he was also appointed as the chairperson of the board of the Ports Regulator of South Africa.

Nomkhita Mona appointed to lead Post Office

In her address Ntshavheni also announced that cabinet had approved the appointment of Nomkhita Mona as the CEO of the equally troubled South African Post Office (Sapo).

The Post Office has not had a permanent CEO since the resignation of Mark Barnes in 2019.

Mona is the CEO of the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber. She has previously served as a CEO of Eastern Cape Tourism and as Eastern Cape planning commissioner.

Last year was a rocky period for Sapo, with its board having numerous run-ins with minister of communications, telecommunications and postal services Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams.

Sapo has also been heavily criticised for its handling of the payments of the R350 special Covid-19 grants.

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