Response by Transport Minister Jeff Radebe - Mg - Mail & Guardian

To the knowledge of the SARCC the fleet recapitalisation tender has not been presented
to Cabinet.
5. Who developed a business program and plan for the recapitalisation of the fleet
and what is the current status of that process?
For point questions 5 and 6 please refer to answers in question 4.
6. What is your response to the allegation that no business case existed when
minister Radebe announced the recapitalisation of Metrorail in his May 20 2008
budget speech?
For point questions 5 and 6 please refer to answers in question 4.
7. The M&G has reliable information that the Metrorail recapitalisation program
was never managed in the SARCC, but “somewhere else”. What is your comment to
this?
The case for recapitalisation was developed by the SARCC and the DOT, also included
in the National Rail Plan presented to cabinet.
8. Is the termination of Nomvete and Tshombe’s contracts in any way related to
their criticism of the way the recapitalisation of Metrorail and its business case was
handled by the SARCC?
No.
9. If not, how should their criticism of the program a mere two weeks before their
removal be interpreted?
The department of transport can provide reasons for the removal of board members. The
process to appoint board members takes more than two weeks as a memo starts with the
department of transport, gets approval from the minister of transport and then submitted
to a Cabinet committee (governance), and finally to the Cabinet secretariat for
distribution to various ministries before a Cabinet meeting (this process can not take two
weeks).
10. Has a tender been issued for the recapitalisation of Metrorail? If so, what is the
current status of this tender process? If not, when does the SARCC plan to advertise
the tender?
To the knowledge of the SARCC no tender has been issued for the fleet acquisition for
Metrorail. The decision to go on tender and final awarding of the tender on the
acquisition of the Metrorail fleet will be taken by Cabinet.