NEHAWU opposes the privatisation of the NTP radioisotopes
19 December 2018
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] which is the majority union at the Necsa Group (Necsa, NTP and Pelchem) is disgusted by the widely reported allegations in the media that the Minister of Energy, Mr Jeff Radebe, disbanded the previous Necsa Board in order to facilitate the sale of 60% of NTP to LMI, an NTP customer, for an improper financial motive. As NEHAWU, we call on the Minister to take the public and Necsa Group employees to his confidence to confirm or deny these allegations.
We would like to make it categorically clear that if these allegations are true we stand opposed to the privatisation of one of the few profit making SOC with R1, 3 billion revenue, bringing foreign revenue and paying millions in tax, which also has a serious potential to grow fivefold from where it is currently.
At this stage we will not venture to comment on the merits or demerits of the disbandment of the previous board nor on the suspension of the Group CEO because the matter is currently before the courts. However, the manner and haste with which this was done gives credence to these allegations. We see no sense whatsoever in disbanding the Board and thus creating a governance crisis when the board was left with three months of its term.
We note with shock and find it totally unacceptable that in this day and age Minister Radebe finds it necessary to recycle old white males to the helm of Necsa, i.e. Mr Rob Adam as Board Chairperson and Mr Don Robertson as Acting CEO, as if the country is short of capable black executives.