BUSA: ANC cadre deployment crippling SOEs
Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) has warned against serving political allies amid the ongoing management crisis at power utility Eskom.
BUSA kicked off its second Business Economic Indaba 2020 in Sandton on Tuesday where President Cyril Ramaphosa and other government leaders will highlight a range of critical steps needed to salvage and revive the country’s economy.
During the opening address CEO Sipho Pityana told delegates that the success of all state-owned enterprises (SOEs), including Eskom, is important for the country's economy.
Following the growing calls for Ramaphosa to sack Gordhan, Pityana says the verbal lynching of the public enterprises minister is uncalled for.
"South Africa desperately needs an action-oriented blueprint to revive the economy focusing on key strategic sectors and interventions.
"We need a single government voice on this, not a debating society reminiscent of the state capture years. The public display of divisions does the country a great deal of disservice."
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The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has now threatened to disrupt Ramaphosa's State Of The Nation Address in February if the president does not heed to the calls to remove Gordhan. EFF leader Julius Malema made the remarks on Sunday at a rally in the North West town of Schweizer Reneke, ahead of a by-election in the Mamusa municipality.
Pityana says Gordhan's department is not the only portfolio facing governance crisis, accusing the African National Congress' (ANC) cadre deployment as having a hand in the of crippling several other SOEs.
"The contagion from the multiple crises that plagued SOEs reverberates across our businesses and society, although the focus has tended to be on those reporting to the ministry of Public Enterprises; others too are facing serious governance, operational and re-positioning challenge.
"The unconstitutional and illegal influence of ANC deployment committed through government has sent many of these institutions into paralysis and disfunctionality."
He adds that the competence of the state depends on employing qualified leaders.
"We must all guard against using this critical matter that Eskom is as a political football, as evidence of the attack on Minister Gordhan," says Pityana.
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