Framework for PPPs under way – Molefe

24 May 2013 - by Alan Peat

As a sidebar to the official
briefing on the new cranes
at DCT, FTW questioned
Public Enterprises Minister
Malusi Gigaba on the
subject of public/private
partnerships (PPPs).
We asked whether this
was still an expletive –
as Cosatu had insisted
following previous minister
Alec Erwin’s support
for the concept some
years back. Or whether
it was possibly back on
the department of public
enterprises’ agenda.
But Brian Molefe, CE of
the Transnet group, took
over the answer and told
FTW: “We (Transnet and
the DPE) are considering
a framework for PPPs, and
a team at the department
is examining the PPP
strategies in relation
to the financing of the
infrastructure roll-out.”
At the proposed dig-out
port on the old Durban
International Airport
site, to be built in phases
between 2016 and 2039,
Molefe added that they
were looking at PPPs for
financing the port and its
facilities.
But pushed on whether
this might also cover PPPs
for terminal operations and
management, he would
only say: “We can’t rule
this out, but we must find
strategies that will work for
us. We are looking at the
framework.”
Also questioned on the
oft-repeated statement that
SA ports were amongst the
world’s most expensive, and
the accompanying demands
that the port charges be
reduced, Gigaba said: “We
have asked the Transnet
board to make port tariffs
more attractive and
affordable.”