Chairperson, I would like to begin by saying this to the hon Minister: It is quite clear that you are transforming public enterprises into black elite enrichment enterprises. [Interjections.] It fits in with your remark of cadre deployment, for which you will not apologise. It is quite clear. You call it BEE, black economic empowerment. I call it black elite enrichment, because that is what it is.
Ek het na die agb Minister geluister. Waneer die agb Minister oor geld en die begroting praat, staan hy hier groot en vertel van die miljarde rande wat bestee word. Dit is baie selde dat 'n mens van net 'n miljoen rand hoor. Dit het, in 'n mate, 'n grootheidswaan begin skep: As dit kom by openbare ondernemings, dan praat ons net in miljarde. Dit lei tot arrogansie.
Ek s nie die agb Minister is arrogant nie, maar kom ek neem Transnet as voorbeeld. Transnet het 'n opdrag van 'n komitee van hierdie Parlement gekry. Hulle het 'n arrogante uitgangspunt van "ons sal ons nie daaraan steur nie". [Tussenwerpsels.] Hulle moes geld by 'n pensioenfonds van die werkers inbetaal het, maar die werklikheid is dat hulle hulle nie daaraan gesteur het nie. Dit is hoekom die VF Plus se Anton Alberts die land vol gereis het, met die pensioentrekkers gepraat het, en daar nou 'n hofsaak aan die kom is.
Die arrogansie l daarin dat dit nie Transnet se geld is nie; dit is die belastingbetalers se geld. Die hoof-uitvoerende beampte van Transnet se salaris verlede jaar was amper R17 miljoen. Weet die agb lede wat R17 miljoen is? [Tussenwerpsels.] Dit beteken in 'n maand verdien die hoof- uitvoerende beampte meer as wat u in 'n jaar verdien. In 'n maand verdien hulle meer - met die belastingbetaler se geld. Dit is 'n arrogante houding van ... [Tussenwerpsels.] ... en ons sal doen wat ons wil.
In my beperkte tyd wil ek s ons bespeur dit ook by Eskom. Eskom word bedryf met die belastingbetaler se geld. Daar word kort-kort gekla en ges dat daar nie genoeg geld is nie. Minister, ek s vir u dit is 'n skande as daar beurtkrag moet kom hierdie winter, want dit beteken dit is swak beplanning deur die bestuur. Dit is swak ten opsigte van die uitvoer van pligte en dit is 'n miskenning van die verbruiker wat vir daardie dienste betaal, want hulle, die bestuur, kan Eskom nie behoorlik bestuur nie. [Tyd verstreke.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[I have been listening to the hon Minister. When the hon Minister speaks about money and the budget, then he stands here, large as life, talking about the billions of rands being spent. It is very seldom that one hears about only a million rands. This has, to some extent, started creating delusions of grandeur: When it comes to public enterprises, we only speak in billions. This leads to arrogance.
I am not saying the hon Minister is arrogant, but let me take Transnet as a case in point. Transnet received an instruction from a committee of this Parliament. They have an arrogant attitude of "we will not pay any heed to this". [Interjections.] They were supposed to pay funds into a workers' pension fund, but the reality is that they did not pay any heed to that. That is why Anton Alberts of the FF Plus travelled right around the country and spoke to pensioners, and why there is a court case on the way at the moment.
The arrogance lies in the fact that this is not Transnet's money; it is the taxpayers' money. The salary the Chief Executive Officer of Transnet received last year was nearly R17 million. Do hon members realise how much R17 million is? [Interjections.] This means that in one month the chief executive officer earns more than you earn in a year. In one month they earn more - of the taxpayers' money. This is an arrogant attitude of ... [Interjections.] ... and we will do what we like.
In my limited time I would like to say that we are also detecting this at Eskom. Eskom is functioning with taxpayers' money. Complaints are frequently raised and it is said that there is not enough money. Minister, I would like to say to you that it would be a disgrace if load-shedding should happen this winter, because that would mean poor planning by management. It is poor in respect of the execution of duties and shows disregard for the consumer who pays for those services, because they, management, are not able to manage Eskom properly. [Time expired.]]