Parly's public enterprises committee members again question SAA majority stake sale
Questions by MPs surrounding equity partner Takatso and the need to sell a majority stake in the airline went unanswered when the committee met with SAA to discuss the controversial deal.
South African Airways. Picture: @flysaa/Twitter
CAPE TOWN - Members of the National Assembly's public enterprises committee have again questioned the sale of a majority stake in South African Airways (SAA).
Members of Parliament (MPs) from the African National Congress (ANC) and the opposition also clashed with Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan over the secrecy surrounding the strategic equity partner Takatso.
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The committee met with SAA on Wednesday and discussed the controversial deal behind closed doors.
Members of the public enterprises committee welcomed SAA’s decision to finally submit its financial statements after almost five years.
However, they still had a lot of unanswered questions about the equity partner and the need to sell a majority stake.
ANC MP Carol Mokgadi Phiri said SAA could turnaround without private sector involvement.
“What impact does it bring for you to continue with the discussion and finalisation of the strategic partner?”
Economic Freedom Fighters MP Nqobile Mhlongo rejected the plan outright.
“Selling of SAA is not an option. You must just forget it. You must just focus on rescuing it. It can’t be that strategic sectors of the country are given to the private sector.”
The office of the Auditor-General said the sale was not yet finalised even though the Competition Tribunal ruled positively on the sale.