Speaker / Adjunk-Speaker,
Minister Gordhan het ‘n reuse werk wat voorlê om die departement reg te ruk. Om die tentakels van alle staatskapers af te sny is nie ‘n maklike taak nie. Die tentakels van ‘n seekat kan nog lank bly klou nadat die kop afgesny is. Ons is wel dankbaar dat die minister tans daaraan aandag skenk. Dit is egter ironies dat die einste departement met sy talle staats-ondernemings wat die kern van die ANC se ontwikkelingstaat daarstel en tot die ontwikkeling-sukses van die land moes lei, die mees gekaapte departement geword het. Die voordele van die sogenaamde ontwikkelingstaat het uiteindelik net na minder as 50 mense gevloei uit ‘n bevolking van 56 miljoen of meer.
This fact says something about the idea of a centrally planned economy and the state’s ability to participate in the economy as referee and player. It is a clear indication that the state must assure a stable and healthy environment within which private enterprise can unlock value and create employment. To perform that function, the state cannot be a player as well, save as public utility in certain developmental circumstances. For instance, we are certain that had SAA been a private company, it would not have been bankrupt today. SAA would have been either profitable or out of business. However, as SAA is a public enterprise, it can continue to function without fear of closure and accountability. We can mention that we will submit a petition to Parliament on behalf of Solidarity Union today requesting that SAA receive no more bail-outs, that it be placed under business rescue and that it be totally or partially privatised.
The troubles at SAA, ESKOM, Transnet, PRASA etc is a clear indication that SOE’s mostly exist for their own sake and not for the public good. Most of them used to have a public utility at its core, but given global technological advances and business experience, very few deserve to remain public entities. Against this economic background, this Department should strictly speaking not exist and all SOE’s not privatised, should be allocated to their functional Departments.
Dit is hartseer dat staatskaping nie net die staatsondernemings geraak het nie, maar dat ‘n omgewing geskep is waar die pensioenfondse van die entiteite ook wanbestuur en in sommige gevalle geplunder is. Die geval van die Transnet pensioenarisse is ‘n ongelukkige voorbeelde in die geval. Die wetgewing wat die pensioenfondse reguleer het dit moontlik gemaak dat geweldige wanpraktyke kon plaasvind met erge gevolge vir die verarmde pensioenarisse. Ons vra daarom die minister om te sorg dat die pensioenfondsberegtiger jurisdiksie sal kry vir oorsig oor alle pensioenfondse van staatsondernemings. Ons is ook natuurlik dankbaar dat daar gekyk word na ‘n skikking in die Transnet pensioensaak.
I thank you Speaker / Deputy Speaker
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