Siza Mzimela joins Transnet as head of freight rail

Former SA express interim CEO Siza Mzimela, who recently quit the embattled airline, has been appointed Chief Executive of Transnet Freight Rail, the company announced.

The appointment, and that of three other executives, has been described by Transnet Group CEO Portia Derby as “essential to the stability” of the state-owned logistics company, which found itself under the spotlight at the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into state capture.

The SA Express board on Monday announced that Mzimela would be leaving pursue other opportunities. She had spent 18 months with the airline, which was this year forced by creditors into business rescue.

Other appointments announced by Transnet include the Chief Procurement Officer position, which will be held by Vuledzani Nemukula; Pandelani Munyani to the position of Chief Information Officer; and Mark Gregg-Macdonald as Group Treasure and Acting CFO.

All of the above assumed their duties on April 1.

The critical state-owned company has been plagued by claims of corruption and wasteful expenditure, including the controversial procurement of 1 064 locomotives from a Chinese company, where costs ballooned from R38.6 billion in 2013 to R54.5 billion, amid allegations of kickbacks.

Last year, the Auditor General found irregular expenditure of R49.9 billion and fruitless and wasteful expenditure of R507 million in its 2019 report, up from R23.5 million in 2018.

Compiled by Sibongile Khumalo