RTMC boss: I'm legal

2011-12-22 17:08

Pretoria - Collins Letsoala, the acting chief executive officer of the Road Traffic Management Corporation, on Wednesday denied claims that his appointment was illegal.

Letsoala, speaking at a press conference in Pretoria, said that until all legal processes involving his appointment in August 2010 had been finalised, he was the top official at the RTMC.

In March this year, a labour court ruled that Letsoala’s appointment was unlawful, irregular and invalid, but granted the RTMC leave to appeal this ruling.

Letsoala said that he was confident that on appeal his appointment would be upheld.

The press conference followed a statement on Wednesday by Western Cape Transport and Public Works MEC Robin Carlisle, who said that among the concerns he had raised with the RTMC shareholders' committee in August had been the question over Letsoala’s appointment.

Carlisle said he had also raised concerns over the fact that the establishment of the National Traffic Police (NTP) unit had been gazetted some five months after the unit's establishment.

He said he had also raised concerns over whether the appointment of the NTP officers was legal.

Letsoala confirmed that the shareholders' committee had received Carlisle’s letter at its August meeting.

However, because there had not been a quorum the matter could not be debated. The committee had not met since the August meeting.

The shareholders’ committee is made up of the national transport minister as well as the nine provincial transport MECs, the RTMC and a representative from the South African Local Government Association (Salga).

- SAPA