Sizakele Mzimela, former SAA CEO and current acting CEO for SA Express, at the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture in Johannesburg, 26 June 2019. Picture: Refilwe Modise
The Democratic Alliance (DA) said they would write to Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan to request information on the appointment of Siza Mzimela as chief executive of Transnet Freight Rail.
DA’s MP Ghaleb Cachalia said in a statement on Thursday that the party was concerned with appointment just days after Mzimela’s resignation as acting chief executive office (CEO) of South African Express Airways was announced.
He said Mzimela’s appointment at such a critical state-owned enterprise (SOE) was bizarre considering that she only had experience in the aviation sector and lacked the required experience in the freight and rail sector.
“The DA is, therefore, seeking transparency and clarity on the process which was followed to appoint Mzimela including whether there was a panel that oversaw the appointment process, the criteria for shortlisting candidates, and what the rationale behind Mzimela’s appointment was when she has zero experience in the field,” Cachalia said.
The MP said Mzimela’s appointment was a classic example of African National Congress (ANC) cadre deployment, where “ineffective executives hop from one SOE to another”.
“Mzimela’s track record at the helm of an SOE is dismal, as is evident by the fact that her previous employer, SA Express, now faces liquidation,” he said.
Cachalia said the country’s economy had been downgraded to junk status due to the corruption and mismanagement of SOEs.
“This played a significant role in where we are today.
“Yet, the ANC seems committed to continuing to place party loyalists in prominent positions at the expense of service delivery and our economy,” he concluded.
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