Mashatile says govt wants modernised SOEs, doesn't want to take over every single one

CAPE TOWN - Deputy President Paul Mashatile said that the government wanted a new kind of state-owned enterprise.

He said it must be modernised, have an independent board and insulated from political "influence".

But he said government did not want take over every single SOE "lock, stock and barrel".

Mashatile was back in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on Thursday, to field more oral questions on SOEs and the revival of the National State Enterprises Bill.

He said that a modern SOE would be made possible by the National State Enterprises Bill, which seeks to centralise the country’s strategic SOEs into one holding company.

"Government must take action and change the way SOEs appoint the boards and how those boards appoint CEOs, there must be no interference."

But government doesn’t want all SOEs and many will operate outside the centralised model.

"We're not going to take all of them lock, stock and barrel with their balance sheets. A lot of them will still operate out there."

Mashatile said Minister in the Presidency Maropene Ramokgopa was still busy with the final details of the centralised plan.