Transnet acting CEO Michelle Phillips has been appointed as the new director.
Mr Phillips is Transnet's longest-serving executive, despite a number of high-profile departures.
Michelle Phillips.
She replaces Portia Darby, who resigned last September after a tumultuous, disappointing and dysfunctional three-year term.
Railway exports declined from a high of 213 million tonnes in 2018/2019 to 149 million tonnes in the previous financial year. A lack of basic management and outdated systems allowed the company to achieve only 25% of its goals for the previous year.
Logistical problems caused by Transnet's rail lines are currently costing the country an average of R1 billion a day.
Transnet Freight Rail CEO Siza Mzimela resigned immediately after the derby, as did Chief Financial Officer Nonkululeko Dlamini.
On Wednesday, Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan announced that Nosipho Mahhumulo will become the company's new CFO. Mr Mahmulo currently holds the same position at Eskom Rotek Industries.
Mr. Gordan said of the new CEO, “Mr. Phillips is highly regarded in the market as a problem solver with excellent networks.'' “Michel has over 20 years of experience at Transnet in a variety of roles and knows what it takes to turn a business around.”
Mr Phillips started his career as a forensic investigator in the Special Investigations Unit before joining Transnet in 2001 as Manager of the National Ports Authority.
He was appointed General Manager of Customer Growth and Freight Solutions at Transnet in 2017 after holding management positions at Transnet Port Terminals and Durban Container Terminal.
In 2020, she became CEO of Transnet Pipelines.
Mr Gordhan said at the time Transnet Pipelines had suffered from poor governance, theft, leaks and poor performance, but Mr Phillips had managed to turn it around.
With Transnet Pipelines, Philips achieved Green Audit Report status for its supply chain for the first time. This means that the business is clean and does not deviate from governance. Mr Gordhan said he had saved the business R1.5 billion in 18 months and completed the long-overdue LNG terminal and SAPREF tank in a short period of time.
Phillips holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from Nelson Mandela University.
Earlier this month, the ANC denied reports that the deployment committee had rejected the Transnet board's recommendation to appoint Ms Phillips because “she is not black enough”. News24 reports that the claims appear to have been spread by individuals who want to undermine Mr Phillips' candidacy.
