Prasa CEO: top engineer targeted because he is black

The company with the higher trains probably paid better bribes, that's mos how business is done in the new South Africa.
 
MickeyD said:
Just trying to understand why the engineer is being targeted...
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Have no idea. Political interference maybe. Happens a lot even at Transnet, but don't want to say too much right now.
 
R13... said:
So Mr CEO are the locomotives the wrong size or not? At least answer that and then rage/race after clarifying the facts you dispute.
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This, It should be relatively easy to pull out the engine specs and the legislated height allowance and show them to the press instead of raging about it and "cause you black"
 
This may have been a public tender, maybe someone with black belt google-fu can dig up the tender doc for us.
 
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hawker said:
It's on wikipedia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_African_Class_Afro_4000#Swifambo_Rail_Leasing
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I agree that it would not be that hard to google for the information but my comment was made more in line with the way the CEO handled the newspaper allegation. He could have just come out and shown why they went with these engines and where the values sit with regards to the height of the engine and legislation, however it seems easier to go on the rage and claim that the newspaper is wrong (without providing evidence) and carrying on claiming it is some kind of vendetta against the black engineers.
 
ISP cash cow said:
I agree that it would not be that hard to google for the information but my comment was made more in line with the way the CEO handled the newspaper allegation. He could have just come out and shown why they went with these engines and where the values sit with regards to the height of the engine and legislation, however it seems easier to go on the rage and claim that the newspaper is wrong (without providing evidence) and carrying on claiming it is some kind of vendetta against the black engineers.
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I wasn't calling you out on it, I just looked it up (because I know where the information is) and posted it.

Swifambo Rail Leasing doesn't even have a website I can find.
 
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According to the original news article, the rail height restriction is to allow for overhead lines:
The engineers say the locomotives could damage the overhead electrical cables on the country's rail lines.
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Yet Mr Montana only speaks to bridges, etc. It is a really poor response from him not really addressing the allegation and trying to play the race card. Unfortunately we are used to this kind of response from an ANC cadre - attack the credibility of the person asking the question rather than addressing the issue. People like this should not be CEOs or in any position of power.

Often technical experts disagree on exact specifications. It would be good to hear the outcome from a direct conversation between the senior engineer raising the concern and the engineer who is responsible for the new trains. I don't think there is enough information at this point to understand if a mistake has really been made or if the senior engineer maybe isn't aware of something.
 
http://www.netwerk24.com/nuus/2015-07-08-top-man-by-prasa-nie-getrein

Sorry couldn't find the english one. But it basically says that he isn't registered with ECSA, a requirement for state work. They also can't find his relevant degree at Wits. Looks like he has a BTech and his phD he received in Germany. So he can't register as a professional engineer, but only as an engineering technologist. I know of a few people working on government contracts that isn't registered with ECSA so I wonder how true that is.
 
They're investigating him now. Are they also investigating him because he's black?
 
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