The scandalous ‘sale’ of SOEs plagued by corruption, inept leadership and theft

There is an old saying that says “if the shoe fits, wear it”. Even if it gives you blisters.

Behind the scenes, government is becoming more brazen as allegations and rumours surface that state assets are quietly being readied for sale.

Apparently, these “for sale” state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are unprofitable, and costing too much money to maintain.

Taxes were increased to refinance the bankrupted SOEs, but now suddenly they are to be sold off. Who would want to buy bankrupted and failed SOEs?

The US, the UK, India, Russia, China, France, Germany … or are the buyers closer to home?

It seems the current administration adopted the policy of “divide and steal” and is hellbent on once again enriching themselves by selling off our SOEs.

The once wealthy and thriving SOEs our morally corrupt government inherited are now broken and bankrupt. If sold, where will the money go? Whose pockets will be lined? Or will they be sold off cheaply to the usual suspects?

SOEs, created and financed from taxpayers’ money, supposedly to conduct commercial and profitable business to the benefit of the country and the fiscus, have failed miserably.

Corruption, inept leadership, theft, embezzlement, cadre deployment, nepotism, gangsterism, factional cabals and such like have plagued and bedevilled our SOEs. But is that reason to sell them?

Would the logical conclusion not be to reassess the leadership, management and business strategies and policies of these failed enterprises? Would it not make sense to jail the corrupt and inept criminals and thugs who “oversee” these important enterprises?

Why does the president allow the appointment of failed and useless leaders into positions of trust and business development – and then act surprised when they fail?

Transnet, Denel, Eskom, SA Airways and others are all secretly being prepared for sale, either wholesale or parts thereof.

Instead of benefiting South Africans, they will now benefit someone else. Instead of creating jobs and generating additional income for SA, they will become someone else’s wealth generator while adding to our lines of the unemployed.

The government certainly doesn’t care as it has disconnected and disassociated itself with the anger and poverty it has created. Their sole intent: to steal us into poverty.

Riding high on the rumour mill are the sales of Prasa’s depots, Transnet’s ports, and even the government’s 50% stake in the SA Reserve Bank.

Who is buying these state assets if they are not making money? Who buys broken and destroyed companies, and for what purpose? Are these sales being done in a transparent and regulated process? Will the selling of these SOEs benefit SA?

Has no thought been given to how quietly selling off our rail infrastructure will impact on our already broken and failed economy? With collapsing road infrastructure, this will merely add to freight costs.

And why is Cosatu mum on this issue? Or is our corrupt government merely selling the SOEs to themselves to enable them to collect even more wealth later?

One must also ask questions relating to these total failures orchestrated by the cadre deployment system. Why haven’t the assets of the overseers been confiscated? Why has no one been arrested?

Importantly, and given the immense scale of failure planned, and overseen by our government, why do they continue to blame everyone else for their failures?

Will our bankrupt and broken municipalities be next on the “for sale” list?

According to the Criminal Procedures Act of 1977, any South African can execute an arrest for “any conspiracy, incitement, or attempt to commit any offense”. Every corrupt politician – and there are many – deserves to be arrested and put behind bars as they have betrayed the voters and taxpayers alike.

If the police won’t do it, maybe we should consider doing it.

Perhaps it would serve us well to rather just sell our government and redirect our socio-economic direction where all will benefit and not only the morally corrupt politicians we have?

But who would want to buy an immoral, disconnected, and power hungry Xhoza Noztra masquerading as a government?

–Mashaba is a political advisor