Hlengwa: MK & EFF claims that govt privatising transport & logistics sector deliberate scaremongering

CAPE TOWN - Deputy Transport Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa said that claims by uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) that government was privatising the transport and logistics sector was deliberate scaremongering.

He said that the state would retain ownership of all public infrastructure while opening the network to third-party operators to revitalise and grow the sector. 

Delivering a ministerial statement in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on Wednesday afternoon, Hlengwa said government would be transparent about all its private partnership agreements.

The deputy minister said that Transnet's recovery plan was on track to secure private sector expertise for capacity expansion within the next 18 months. 

"What we are calling for is the leveraging of infrastructure, resources, knowledge, skills and expertise to come from the private sector without the public sector foregoing ownership."

But Hlengwa came under fire from the so-called Progressive Caucus for inviting private sector participation. 

The MK Party’s Seeng Mokoena sang the praises of party leader, Jacob Zuma, under whose presidency, she said, the transport sector thrived.

The EFF's Khanya Ceza said that instead of private sector involvement in Transnet, the state should be investing more.

But Hlengwa hit back, saying that the GNU was cleaning up after nine wasted years of state capture.

"We come from an era of corrupt Gupta privatisation which sought to erode the country and embedded it into state capture and the results of that we are paying for today."

Hlengwa said that government's approach would support Transnet's recovery while fostering competition to reach the 250 million tonne freight target by 2030.