MONDAY, 11.30AM
The town council of Mpumalanga’s capital Nelspruit has formally selected the Metsi a Sechaba consortium, backed by British multinational Biwater, as its preferred bidder for a 30-year concession to provide water and sanitation services to the town.
Nelspruit council CEO Roelf Kotze said the yet-to-be-finalised concession agreement provides for total investment of R254-million in new and upgraded facilities to ensure reliable water and sanitation services in the region. He added the consortium as chosen because of its ”reasonable” proposed tariffs.
The SA Municipal Workers’ Union has condemned the privatisation of basic services, saying they will lead inevitably to excessive tariffs.
The concession agreement will go to the council for final approval by the end of the year.
BUSINESS BRIEFS
OLD MUTUAL WRITES TO TRC
INSURANCE giant Old Mutual has made a written submission to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the comapny said at the weekend. The TRC has called on corporations, employer federations and trade unions to make submissions to its business hearings in November.
SA IN LINE FOR INDIA ARMS DEAL
SOUTH Africa is in the running for a $5-billion contract to replace the gun turrets of India’s ageing fleet of Soviet T-72 tanks, defence analysts said on Friday. Brigadier Bill Sass of the Institute for Security Studies said SA is one of four countries contending for the contract. Reports on Friday that SA had already tied up the deal were strongly denied by parastatal arms maker Denel.
BOOST FOR GRAIN MARKETING
The restructuring of SA’s wheat marketing following the disbandment of the parastatal Wheat Board’s single-channel marketing system received a boost at the weekend with the announcement that Cape Grain has secured a R600-million syndicated loan financing deal to cover advance price payments to farmers. Cape Grain markets wheat produced in the Western Cape and southern Cape.