ANC welcomes decision to review court ruling on Fireblade Aviation VVIP terminal

8 May 2018

The ANC Study Group on Home Affairs welcomes the decision of the Department of Home Affairs to review the High Court ruling on Fireblade Aviation operating a private terminal at the O.R Tambo International Airport.

The Minister of Home Affairs appeared before the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs in Parliament today to brief the committee on the privatisation of a section of the O.R Tambo International Airport for privately owned company, Fireblade Aviation, to run a private customs and immigration service at O.R Tambo.  The Minister raised procedural concerns regarding the lack of adherence to prescripts of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) and private ownership of international terminals. The Department will now approach the Constitutional Court to review this ruling and provide constitutional clarity on the matter.

The apparent elitist nature of the Fireblade Aviation request to run a private operation that will benefit an elite few to the exclusion of the majority is cause for concern. Public entities ought to provide quality services distributed equally to all South Africans regardless of race, class and gender.

The ANC therefore supports the department in its endeavour to sought clarity from the highest court in the land on the principle of open and equal access to our public entities and the services they provide. We will also undertake a process of policy formulation to guide government on the matter going forward.

Issued by Nonceba Mhlauli, Spokesperson, ANC, 8 May 2018