PRETORIA, September 26 (ANA) – Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba on Tuesday rubbished media reports which suggested that the South African National Treasury would use funds from the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) to bail out the country’s failing state-owned enterprises.
“I want to assure every South African, every pension holder that their pensions are safe, that there is absolutely no attempt to dig into their pensions for reasons that are unscrupulous,” Gigaba told a media briefing at the National Treasury in Pretoria.
“I also want to dispel another untruth, that I said…we need R100 billion in order to fund ailing state-owned companies. There is absolutely no truth in that.”
Gigaba was addressing journalists following widespread reports suggesting that National Treasury was trying to force the PIC to commit to providing the R100 billion to bail out the numerous struggling state-owned enterprises (SoEs), including R12 billion for the embattled South African Airways (SAA).
The media briefing followed a meeting held by Gigaba, his deputy Sfiso Buthelezi – who also chairs the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) – and the board of the corporation which manages state workers’ pension funds.
– African News Agency (ANA)
