/ 9 March 2000

TRANSNET TO SELL BUS SERVICE

TRANSNET said on Wednesday it plans to sell its passenger bus services business, Autopax, in a bid to step up its restructuring programme. The loss-making parastatal, whose restructuring has been hobbled by massive debts, set no deadline for the disposal. “The government of the Republic of South Africa, represented by Transnet announces its intention to privatise Autopax,” it said a paid media advertisement. Transnet, valued at an estimated R43-billion, is one of the big four state entities earmarked by the government for privatisation in 2000. The parastatal reported a R700-million rand loss for the six months to September 30, 1999, and is sitting with a debt of over R27-billion.