President Ramaphosa assigns responsibilities for certain SOEs

In addition, the administration of certain sections of the Overvaal Resorts Limited Act of 1993 and the Overvaal Resorts Limited Act Repeal Act of 2019 will now be vested with the Minister of Water and Sanitation.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed proclamations transferring shareholder responsibilities for several key State-owned enterprises (SOEs) to specific line function ministers, as part of an ongoing reformation of the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE).

According to the newly signed proclamations, the administration, powers, and functions related to the following SOEs will now fall under the respective ministers:

Alexkor: Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources

Denel: Minister of Defence and Military Veterans

Eskom: Minister of Electricity and Energy

South African Forestry Company SOC Limited (Safcol): Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment

South African Airways: Minister of Transport

South African Express: Minister of Transport

Transnet: Minister of Transport

In addition, the administration of certain sections of the Overvaal Resorts Limited Act of 1993 and the Overvaal Resorts Limited Act Repeal Act of 2019 will now be vested with the Minister of Water and Sanitation.

President Ramaphosa also appointed Maropene Ramokgopa, Minister in the Presidency responsible for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, as the executive authority of the DPE. The department will continue to operate until its human and financial resources are appropriately transferred.

This appointment grants Minister Ramokgopa the authority to exercise all relevant powers and functions under the Public Service Act of 1994 and the Public Finance Management Act of 1999 in relation to the DPE.

Furthermore, Minister Ramokgopa has been assigned the responsibility to finalize the National State Enterprise Bill. This bill will outline the framework for the exercise of shareholder responsibility across SOEs, which will be transferred in phases to a new national enterprise holding company.