Fin24 reports that on Sunday, the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) confirmed that it had placed CEO Zolani Matthews under precautionary suspension after finding out that he had UK citizenship.

In a statement, Prasa’s board said it found out about Matthews’ citizenship last week after the State Security Department declined his top secret security clearance. The board said Matthews had deliberately failed to disclose that he was a British citizen. “This came as a shock to Prasa and upon perusal of a declaration form signed on 8 May 2021 by Mr Matthews it was evident that he deliberately concealed this fact,” the board’s chairperson Leonard Ramatlakane indicated. Ramatlakane explained that Matthews was on precautionary suspension to allow for an investigation to be done “without interference”. The board stressed that Matthews was still a Prasa employee pending the investigation into the issue. Prasa has appointed David Mphelo as acting CEO.

• Read the original of the short report in the above regard compiled by Penelope Mashego at Fin24
• See too, Prasa CEO suspended over UK citizenship security fear, at Sunday Times (subscriber access only)

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