Publications
Partners
Journalists were not permitted to attend a parliamentary session today at which the state oil company, PetroSA, had to explain its massive loss of R14.5 billion in its previous fiscal year.
The country’s proposed nuclear programme was also discussed in the meeting, according to Fikile Majola, chairperson of the energy portfolio committee.
As the proceedings got under way on Tuesday morning, Majola informed the public, which included journalists, that the sitting was closed because of fears that “commercially sensitive information” may be disclosed in PetroSA’s presentation.
Energy Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson and the PetroSA board would, according to the agenda, address the committee on a comprehensive forensic audit report on the company’s loss of R14.5 billion.
Democratic Alliance member of Parliament Pieter van Dalen told Majola that he found it strange that the committee didn’t indicate on its invitation or agenda that the sitting would be closed.
After Majola clarified the issue with Van Dalen, MPs first had a closed session to discuss the issue with Parliament’s legal advisers.
Members of PetroSA’s board and staff of the energy department had to wait outside the room while this took place. They were allowed later in the room for the PetroSA presentation.
Earlier this month, Media24 reported that chairperson of the PetroSA board, Bhekabantu Ngubane, told Parliament the company had written off R200 million in assets for the previous book year.
It was also revealed that PetroSA made another loss in the previous book year that ended in March. This loss wasn’t as bad as the R14.5 billion loss from 2015.
A comprehensive forensic report will provide Parliament with information about why the losses were incurred.
 |
| ||||||||||||||
