Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) CEO Sizakele Mzimela has resigned with effect from the end of this month.
Transnet announced her departure and the appointment of Russell Baatjies as acting TFR chief executive with effect from 1 November 2023 in a statement on Thursday.
Mzimela’s exit from the top post at the state-owned entity’s rail division comes after Transnet Group Executive Portia Derby resigned last week following heavy pressure from the Transnet Board.
Derby and her executive have been under strain to resign after Transnet posted a R5.7 billion loss in the 2022/3 financial year and only achieved 26.3% of its targets for the period under review. TFR freight handling volumes plummeted to 149 million tonnes in 2022/3 down from a high of 213 million tonnes in 2018/2019.
Mzimela joined TFR – the biggest operating division of Transnet – in April 2020.
“Transnet has appointed Russell Baatjies as acting TFR CE with effect from 1 November 2023, while a recruitment process for a permanent CE is under way,” Transnet said.
Until recently Baatjies was the Managing Executive for the Cape Corridor. He has previously held the role of General Manager for the Iron Ore and Manganese (IOM) Business Unit at TFR, a position he held since 2017.
“Under his leadership, the IOM team’s achievements include the implementation of the world’s longest production train, and the highest manganese volumes transported at 15.5 million tonnes,” TFR said.
Other previous senior roles he has held at Transnet include regional executive as well as local business manager at Transnet Engineering. Baatjies holds a Bachelor of Science (Rail Operations) from the University of Glasgow Caledonian, and a B.Tech from Cape University of Technology.
“Transnet thanks Ms. Mzimela for her contribution to the company and wishes her great success in her future endeavours.”
