Signalling the way to go . . .

Leonard Neill SOUTH AFRICA'S granite exporters, along with other mineral producers supplying the global market, are desperate to have a domestic rail service which meets their requirements, but which track to follow and which signal to observe is providing them with conflicting directions at present. In fact, a Sandton meeting of the leaders in these fields last week appeared to be divided between following a Clint Eastwood course of 'Any Which Way But Loose' and a version of Doris Day's 'Que Sera Sera' (Whatever will be) as they pondered the point of where to go at government level for assistance. "We should start talking to Minister of Transport, Dullah Omar," came the suggestion from the speaker's table. But a voice from the audience quickly changed that opinion. "Spoornet doesn't fall under the Department of Transport. It is the Minister of Public Enterprises who controls it. You should be talking to him." Back to the speaker's table went the pros and cons of the debate, where it was argued that Minister of Trade and Industry, Alec Erwin, was the man who had done most to promote export values, and any approach for assistance should be directed towards his department. But this was countered by a representative of the Department of Mineral and Energy Affairs who reminded the gathering that most of them were in the mining industry and therefore should be dealing directly with his department. "Whatever we decide, we must go somewhere with a united front," said Marlin Corporation chief executive, Mario Marcenaro. But even then it wasn't certain just where to go. It was agreed that a committee be established representing the producers who were dependent on Spoornet. But just which street to take to the correct department in Pretoria was passed on to Marlin's Tilla van Rooyen, who had undertaken the role of organising the Sandton gathering.