Agb Voorsitter, die VF Plus verwelkom die feit dat die agb Minister s daar sal 'n paneel aangestel word wat 'n evaluering sal doen van hoof uitvoerende beamptes van openbare ondernemings, maar ek wil vir die agb Minister s dis eintlik 'n bietjie te laat. Hulle moes al gister hul werk en hul verslag na vore gebring het.
As ons gaan kyk na hoof uitvoerende beamptes wil ek ook vir u s daar behoort 'n bepaling te wees dat geen hoof uitvoerende beampte van 'n openbare onderneming 'n salaris groter as R1 miljoen per jaar moet kry nie. Daarna kan dit op streng, goeie kriteria van prestasie gebaseer word. Dan sal ons verseker dat daar behoorlike prestasie is met die belastingbetaler se geld. Dis nie 'n argument om te s ons kompeteer met die privaatsektor nie. Ons gebruik die belastingbetaler se geld, en daarom moet ons nie salarisse van tussen R3 miljoen en R10 miljoen per jaar vir hoof uitvoerende beamptes betaal nie. Dis onaanvaarbaar!
Agb Minister, ek wil ook vir u s weens die feit dat ek 'n voormalige werknemer van 'n filiaal van Denel vir omtrent tien jaar was, is Denel vir my 'n besondere teer punt as dit kom by tegnologie en werknemers. Suid- Afrika sit met 'n bron van hoogs kundige mense binne-in die Denel-groep, maar agb Minister, ek het vir u 'n vraag gevra oor hoeveel van die besighede verkoop is en u het my geantwoord. Sedert 2006 is daar 15 besighede van die Denel-groep verkoop, maar slegs vier van daardie 15 het op 'n verlies gewerk. Hoekom moet ons dan die ander 11 - en ek weet ... (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Mr P J GROENEWALD: Hon Chairperson, the FF Plus welcomes the fact that the hon Minister is saying that a panel will be appointed to evaluate chief executive officers of public enterprises, but I want to tell the hon Minister that it is really a bit too late for that. They should have already done their work and submitted their report.
With regard to chief executive officers, I also want to say that there should be a provision that no chief executive officer of a public enterprise should receive an annual salary exceeding R1 million. Any additional amounts could be based on rigorous and appropriate criteria pertaining to performance. We would then ensure that taxpayers' money is being utilised to reward competent performance. The argument that we are competing with the private sector does not hold water. We are using taxpayers' money, and we should therefore not pay annual salaries of between R3 million and R10 million to chief executives. This is unacceptable!
Hon Minister, as I have been a former employee of a subsidiary of Denel for approximately 10 years, I also want to mention that Denel is an exceptionally sore point with me as regards technology and employees. South Africa has a pool of highly skilled people within the Denel group but, hon Minister, I asked you a question regarding how many of the companies have been sold and you have answered it. Fifteen companies in the Denel group have been sold since 2006, but only four of them were operating at a loss. Why then should we - and I know ...]
... you will say it's a non-core business and all those sorts of things ... ... maar die feit van die saak is 11 van daardie besighede het wel 'n wins gemaak. Hoekom het ons dan van hulle ontslae geraak? Oor die ander aspek, in terme van besighede waar daar aandele verkoop is, agb Minister, het u nie vir my in u antwoord die bedrag gegee waarvoor daardie aandele verkoop is nie. Van daardie 15 besighede wat verkoop is, het ons ongeveer R845 miljoen gekry. Dan wil ek graag weet: wat is die situasie met die aandele?
Ons neem byvoorbeeld Rheinmetall Denel Munitions (RDM) waar ons net 49% aandele het. Dis 'n minderheidsaandeel. In die geval van Carl Zeiss Optronics het ons ook maar net 'n 30% aandeel. Dis 'n veel kleiner aandeel. Dit is basies net in die geval van een filiaal, die Saab aerostructures maatskappy, waar ons nog 'n 70% aandeelhouding het.
Agb Minister, ek is bewus daarvan dat veral in die krygstuigindustrie die kompetisie wreldwyd geweldig sterk is. Ons moet ons kundige mense daar behou. Ons kan eerder ons hoof uitvoerende beamptes en hoof bestuurders se salarisse verminder en sorg dat die geld by die werknemers uitkom - by die mense wat die produksie lewer - in belang van Suid-Afrika. Dan sal daar vordering wees.
Die VF Plus verwelkom ook die feit dat die agb Minister s daar moet gekyk word na die befondsing van politieke partye. Dan moet ons darem ook eerlik vir mekaar s dat die ander partye soos die DA, IVP en dies meer nie hier hoog heilig moet kom staan en vertel hoe erg hulle daaroor voel nie, want hulle het saamgestem met die grondwetlike hof destyds dat dit maar eers daar gelaat moet word. Het hulle dan ook iets om weg te steek? Ons s: as ons moet wys, moet almal wys! Daar moenie net party wys nie. Ons moet s: wat kry ons ook van die buiteland af? Ek dank u. [Applous.]
'n AGB LID: Mooi ges! (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[... but the fact of the matter is that 11 of those companies were operating at a profit. Why did we get rid of them? With regard to companies who sold shares, hon Minister, you did not mention the price for which those shares were sold in your reply. We received approximately R845 million from those companies that were sold. I would like to know: what is the situation regarding these shares?
For example, we only have a 49% share in Rheinmetall Denel Munitions, RDM. This is a minority share. In the case of Carl Zeiss Optronics, we only have a 30% share. This is a much smaller share. It is basically only in the case of one subsidiary, the Saab aerostructures business that we hold a 70% share.
Hon Minister, I am aware that competition is extremely tough worldwide, especially in the armaments industry. We should retain our expertise in this field. We should rather decrease the salaries of our chief executive officers and general managers in order to ensure that the employees - those who are responsible for delivering the products - get the money in the interest of South Africa. Then these would be progress.
The FF Plus also welcomes the fact that the hon Minister is saying that funding of political parties should be looked into. Surely, we should be honest and say to one another that other parties such as the DA, the IFP and so forth should not stand here and tell sancitimoniously us how terrible they feel about it, because at the time they were in agreement with the Constitutional Court that this matter should be put aside for the moment. Do they also have something to hide? We are saying: if it is expected of us to make this public, then it should be expected of everybody else to do the same. It should not only be expected of some parties. We should say: what are we getting from abroad? I thank you. [Applause.]