Similarly, the NEF to hold part of the privatised assets earmarked for empowerment, remains outstanding. The NEF will no doubt be finalised before canvassing starts in earnest for next year's elections to allow the ANC to claim credit and progress. The unions are still far from convinced about the merits of restructuring public corporations. Transnet, Safcol and Alexkor have all had clashes to sort out. A key union gripe is around government spending on advisers while unions have to do with less.
Privatisations are to some extent a distraction.
Government's priority with its corporations is more to extend the delivery of basic services by bringing the private sector into infrastructure projects. So business partnerships are encouraged between municipalities and private concerns for financing, extending, operating and the management of infrastructure services. By April, about 18 pilot projects had been established including water, sanitation, refuse collection and transport projects. In addition to these, the first major road construction and maintenance concession on the N1 opened to traffic last year. Construction will soon begin on the Maputo Corridor project.