ANC STATEMENT ON THE NEW BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR TRANSNET

The African National Congress (ANC) congratulates newly appointed Transnet board Chairperson Mafika Mkwanazi and other directors whose names were announced this afternoon by Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba.

We have full confidence in Mkwanazi's leadership skills to steer Transnet in the right direction and in meeting the Government's developmental agenda. We are also happy that the Transnet board collective is representative of men and women who are seasoned business leaders with a track record in the public and private sector, something that will bring stability to the state-owned enterprise (SOE). This will now also pave the way for the process to fill the crucial post of chief executive officer (CEO) and other key positions within the Transnet Group.

The ANC Government has committed itself to lead a massive public investment programme for growth and employment creation. This should accelerate and expand investment in public infrastructure, particularly in areas such as rail networks, public transport, port operations, dams, housing construction, information and communications technology, energy generation and health.

We also believe that vigorously implementing broad-based economic empowerment and affirmative action policies and adjusting them to ensure that they benefit more broad sections of our people - especially the workers, youth, women and people with disabilities - is crucial in reversing decades of socio-economic imbalances.

The ANC wish to affirm its confidence in the Transnet board of directors rising to the challenge of ensuring that the parastatal continues to post good results and responds positively to the country's developmental challenges.

Statement issued by Brian Sokutu, African National Congress spokesperson, December 8 2010

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