Former president Jacob Zuma's constant reshuffling of ministers wreaked havoc on state-owned enterprises (SOEs), Transport Minister Blade Nzimande said. According to City Press, Nzimande complained about the SOEs under his portfolio, during a briefing to the portfolio committee on Transport on Tuesday.
Nzimande and the board of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) were supposed to appear before the committee together, to account for the transport department's performance and Prasa's failure to submit its 2016/17 financial report.
But Prasa reportedly didn't arrive, opting to meet with the committee later instead.
Nzimande reportedly told the committee about how Prasa was "losing money like an ATM" and how the Road Accident Fund (RAF) was "totally dysfunctional".
Speaking about Zuma's frequent cabinet reshuffles, Nzimande reportedly said: "I can see now what havoc it wreaked."
He reportedly said the RAF board was so "dysfunctional" that it should be "disbanded". He said the board was "fighting so badly I thought they were going to come to blows".
According to Eyewitness News, Nzimande also said: "I've decided to call an AGM, chair, on the Road Accident Fund which is taking place on Friday this week, to just engage them. But in the meantime, I've said: is it not a good idea that they resign and reconstitute this board because it's dysfunctional?"
Nzimande also said he could not appoint a permanent board at Prasa, which he reportedly said seemed determined to do everything besides its job of providing South Africans with safe transport.
He said he needed to engage the board further before deciding on a way forward. He appointed an interim board in April.
On Monday, Nzimande also announced that he would not be keeping on Dudu Myeni as ministerial adviser. Myeni was reportedly appointed by Nzimande's predecessor, Joe Maswanganyi, according to eNCA.
She was fired from her position as the chair of the SAA board in October last year.
Fin24 reported that, in a written reply to a parliamentary question by DA MP Derrick America this week, Nzimande said Myeni's appointment was never finalised.
"The former minister, Mr M J Maswanganyi, intended to appoint her as his special adviser reporting directly to him. However, the appointment was never finalised as the department had to request further information in relation to her academic qualifications for purpose of verification; which information was never submitted until the former minister was removed," Nzimande reportedly said.