Johannesburg – Former transport minister Dipuo Peters has admitted that the decision to dismiss the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) board three months before its term ended was irrational.
Peters appeared before the Zondo Commission of Inquiry Into Allegations of State Capture in relation to Prasa-related testimony.
In her testimony, Peters dismissed allegations that she was advised by anyone to dismiss the board.
"It was my decision to dismiss the board, I was irrational.The board stretched my patience for a long time, the timing was wrong," said Peters. She also revealed that working with former Prasa board chairperson Popo Molefe had been very difficult.
Advocate Vas Soni asked Peters why she didn't just dismiss Peters, instead of the board, if he was the problem. She said one of the challenges in working with Molefe was that they would discuss something, and the next thing it would be in the media.
"For me, chairperson, it was something that I felt I can tolerate and work with because after sharing the information I'd also have to do a press briefing dealing with the media, while Prasa was also deurmekaar (confused)," said Peters.
She admitted that when she took the decision to dismiss the board three months before the end of it's term, she was ready to risk it all.
Peters said she wanted the ANC to investigate claims that the governing party received R80 million from a company contracted by Prasa.
The allegations emerged when Molefe filed an affidavit in the agency’s battle with Swifambo over a R3.5 billion contract to deliver locomotives in August 2015.
POLITICAL BUREAU