Dudu Miyeni: When you're a leader you have to take the heat
The SAA board chair says she’s under attack because she’s driving a transformation agenda at the airline.
CAPE TOWN - South African Airways (SAA) Board Chairperson Dudu Miyeni says she's under attack because she's driving a transformation agenda at the embattled national airline.
Miyeni spoke to Eyewitness News after appearing before a joint meeting of Parliament's Finance and Public Enterprises Committees earlier today.
On Monday, SAA pilots cast a vote of no-confidence in the airline's leadership and management, amid concerns over a controversial R1.5 billion airbus deal and the departure of a top official.
SAA is set to post a loss of R648 million for the first six months of the current financial year and is asking National Treasury for a guarantee of R4 billion to R5 billion, which it needs in order to sign off its overdue financial statements as a growing concern.
Miyeni says she's being targeted because she wants a lot more than four percent of SAA's R24 billion procurement spend to go to 50 percent black-owned companies.
"Things were quite smooth, but all of a sudden, because we're focusing on transformation I'm attacked left right and centre. I'm probably paying a price for being black, or being a woman - I don't know."
Miyeni says she can take the pain.
"When you lead you have to take the heat, that's what I am doing and I am doing it for South Africa."
In seven days she is expected to give the finance committee her answer to the Democratic Alliance's question of when she will step down.
LISTEN: SAA pilots pass vote of no confidence in their bosses
