/ 11 August 1999

DAMNING REPORT ON ALEXKOR

A DAMNING report on mismanagement at Alexkor, the state-owned diamond mine, could result in the restructuring of the entire Alexkor board, government sources said on Tuesday. Business Report indicates that the report, compiled by the Nabera consortium which won the management contract last year, alleged “large-scale theft, poor financial management and the mismanagement of the subsidisation of non-core assets”. A Nabera board member suggested that the acquisition of non-core assets, which included mariculture, agriculture and tourism, had been “embarked upon without adequate foresight or direction”. Jeff Radebe, the public enterprises minister, confirmed receipt of the report and said he would announce a course of action in a few days.