Will Pravin Gordhan give full SAA information to SCOPA
14 November 2022
Note to editors: Please find attached soundbite by Alf Lees MP.
It comes as no surprise that the Public Enterprises presentation on SAA to be made to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts gives no details of the SAA/Takatso deal nor the financial operating performance since SAA restarted operations on the 23rd of September 2021.
Once again Pravin Gordhan, the Minister of Public Enterprises, and the Public Enterprises Department seem intent on treating Parliament with contempt by failing to provide these details.
Some of the questions and documentation that we will ask during the SCOPA meeting on the 15 November 2022 when Public Enterprises and SAA are due to appear before SCOPA include the following:
Please provide SCOPA with copies of the Takatso Memorandum of Understanding signed in June 2021 as well as the Takatso Sale and Purchase Agreement signed in February 2022 by close of business on the 18 November 2022.
What are the details of the process followed that led to the selection of the Takatso Consortium as strategic equity partner for SAA?
What are the details of all parties interested in acquiring shares in SAA?
Please provide SCOPA with copies of the proposals received from all parties interested in acquiring shares in SAA by close of business on the 18 November 2022.
What are details of the monthly operational profits or losses since 23 September 2021?
What are the sources of cash that have been used to fund any operational losses incurred since 23 September 2021?
Were the funds, or a part thereof, specifically appropriated by parliament for the payment of R900 million to Mango paid to the SAA Receivership to reduce the amount required from government to complete the business rescue process from R3,5 billion to R2,6 billion? If so, does this not constitute irregular or wasteful expenditure?
What are details of all government guarantees extended to SAA that remain in place?
Is a change to the South African Airways Act 5 of 2007 required in order to enable the disposal of shares in SAA? If so when will a bill be introduced to amend or rescind the SAA Act?
How many pilots have resigned from SAA since 23 September 2021 and what are the reasons given by pilots for such resignations?
Are SAA pilots being required to personally fund third party provided training in order to remain qualified? If so, why are the in-house SAA training facilities not being used?
Why were certain SAA employees allowed to enrich themselves with the very generous Voluntary Severance Packages and then be rehired as SAA employees? What are the details of these employees?
Why was special treatment provided to SAA employees in terms of generous severance packages and bailouts for SAA not given to Mango and SA Express employees?
What are the details of the SAA attempts to appoint two SAA appointees as the only trustees of the TPF SAA Sub-fund Board that would exclude pensioners from the Board?
Please provide SCOPA with copies of all reports that deal with the in-flight incidents that occurred during the COVID vaccine flights to and from Brussels in February 2021 as well as the flight from Accra, Ghana on the 28 June 2022.
The DA calls on the SCOPA Chair to ensure that all questions are answered fully and that the required documents are provided to SCOPA.
Issued by Alf Lees, DA Member of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, 14 November 2022
