Committee Annual Report and Programme: adoption

Meeting report

PUBLIC ENTERPRISES PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
16 February 2005
COMMITTEE ANNUAL REPORT AND PROGRAMME: ADOPTION

Chairperson: Mr Y Carrim (ANC)

Document handed out:
Draft 2005 Committee Programme

SUMMARY
The Committee Annual Report was adopted and the Draft Committee Programme for 2005 provisionally adopted. The Chairperson announced that a series of visits to parastatals, state-owned enterprises and to two social democratic countries were envisaged. He encouraged Members to become more involved. Members were impressed by what they had seen on previous visits, but regretted the lack of opportunities to meet workers, unions and the communities

MINUTES
The Chairperson explained that formal adoption of the Report would follow on 8 March. Mr P Hendriks (ANC) proposed that the Report be adopted, which was seconded by Mr K Minnie (DA). The Chairperson was praised and thanked for his hard work.

Mr Pierre Rabie pointed out that on page9 in the Report, it was erroneously stated that no new railways had been built during the previous 60 years, whereas in fact both the Sishen-Saldanha and Richards Bay lines had been completed approximately 30 years back.

Mr S Manie (ANC) asked that clear mandates for the Committee be spelt out in its dealings with parastatals so that they would not be overwhelmed by technical details. A "blueprint to guide their work" would assist the Committee in being more focused in their oversight of matters such as transformation to empower women, blacks and other disadvantaged people; service delivery; economic growth, skills training; poverty alleviation and job creation. The National Party government had ‘succeeded’ because they used state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and parastatals to create jobs. He proposed that employment opportunities not be reduced.

Mr Hendriks (ANC) suggested that investigations into destinations like Saldanha and Koeberg close to Cape Town, be conducted as day visits.

The Chairperson summarised the proposed activities of the Committee as: study tours in South Africa and to one social democracy in both Africa and South America; clearer structuring of co-operation with other Committees such as Transport, Minerals and Energy, and Defence; being a more ‘active’ committee; rotating the Chairperson of the Committee; and getting Members to specialise in areas of their own interest.

Mr Hendriks stressed that the purpose of a visit should be made clear, and that discipline was important. The visit to the SAA training facilities had impressed on him the high standard of technology in this country and the large number of young blacks, including women, involved. It was regrettable that opportunities for interacting with workers, unions and communities had not been included.

Mr Manie discerned a problem with morale due to non-payment of bonuses.

Mr Rabie regretted the lack of opportunities to interact with staff. A union member should be present when meeting directors. He had picked up some ‘uncertainty’ amongst Transnet people.

The Chairperson told about his experiences in the Philippines where privatisation often meant that a director of a parastatal won a contract for taking over part of that parastatal. He suggested that a Member be identified to attend a week-long conference in New Orleans.

The meeting was adjourned.