Fin24 reports that the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) has called on the Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan to remove Transnet’s CEO Portia Derby, accusing her of sabotaging businesses through lack of service delivery.
In a letter dated 12 September and signed by Palesa Phili, CEO of the DCCI, the business community of eThekwini said it had reached a point where it could "no longer tolerate" Derby's behaviour which, it said, was "clearly geared towards sabotaging businesses, through the lack of service delivery with the current port infrastructure". The DCCI said that it believed Derby, as well as the head of Transnet Freight Rail, Sizakele Mzimela, and Transnet National Ports Authority CEO, Pepi Silinga, did not have the best interests of the business community at heart. Transnet’s executive team "have proven time and time again that they are incompetent … Businesses are collapsing and losing revenue daily … we cannot allow this to continue any longer", the letter indicated. The plea came on top of calls from the Minerals Council SA for the removal of Derby and Mzimela in a letter sent to the former Transnet board chairperson in December last year. Transnet said it would meet with the DCCI to address its concerns. Earlier this month, Gordhan tasked the new Transnet board with conducting a sweeping review of the organisation.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lisa Steyn at Fin24
- Read too, Transnet CEO gets removal call from Durban Chamber, at Moneyweb
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