South African President Jacob Zuma has ordered an external audit of state companies, following persistent reports of mismanagement and political meddling, and said he wants faster action to curb corruption. In an interview with the Sunday Times newspaper, Zuma said he had commissioned a private company to review the operations of all state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and provide solutions to their problems. “I have taken a decision which is going to solve SOE problems for ever: I have ordered a review of all of them with a final decision on what to do. It is being done by outside people who have no interest,” the paper quoted Zuma as saying. “It is being done on behalf of the country and we'll be advised about what to do. It is clear there are difficulties... A review is going to come up with something that's going to solve the problem for ever.” Zuma pointed to state airline South African Airways (SAA) and power utility Eskom, which he said had always had problems. A leadership crisis at Eskom last year resulted in both the chief executive and the board chairman leaving the firm after clashing over how to run the utility.
