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NC opposition parties mixed on Premier’s more radical plans

───   OLEBOGENG MOTSE 12:21 Sat, 06 Jul 2019

NC opposition parties mixed on Premier’s more radical plans  | News Article
PHOTO; Olebogeng Motse

The opposition parties in the Northern Cape have mixed views on some of Premier Zamani Saul’s more radical, albeit well-intended plans for the province.


The Freedom Front Plus’ leader in the province and Member of Parliament (MP), Wynand Boshoff, criticises Saul’s plan to establish a state construction company towards the end of 2020 which will help to build RDP houses and roads. While Saul sees this as a step towards his vision to scrap the tender system, Boshoff doesn’t believe it bodes well for the provincial government. “The socialist-leaning of having a state construction firm is a little questionable. The Freedom Front Plus supports a free market economy,” says Boshoff. While he feels the idea has its merits, he is concerned it leaves a lot of room for corruption.

The FF Plus leader did not comment on Saul’s plans to establish a Northern Cape State Mining Company, something which the EFF is very excited about. Provincial Secretary of the EFF, Shadrack Tlhaole, welcomes Saul’s plan for mining in the province, calling it “a good initiative”. He, however, demands that the province be told what happened to other mines in the area before. He asks who were the beneficiaries of Kumba Iron Ore’s Sishen Mine in Kathu?

In April OFM News reported the partly state-owned diamond mine, Alexkor Limited in Alexander Bay, in the Northern Cape, confirms about 190 employees are being retrenched on the back of its financial woes. Alexkor is another state-owned entity that has been marred by allegations of mismanagement that are believed to have exacerbated the entity’s financials. Speaking on behalf of the CEO of the Pooling and Sharing Joint Venture (PSJV) between Alexkor SOC and the Richtersveld Mining Company, Mervyn Carstens, the Company Secretary, Raygen Phillips, tells OFM News they are engaging with the unions on packages after issuing a formal notice of retrenchments recently.


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