SAA finances will stabilise, says Gordhan
As public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan closed the book on the controversial sale of 51% of SAA to Takatso consortium, he again addressed allegations of corruption in the collapsed deal.
Gordhan on Wednesday announced the termination of the sale of a majority SAA stake to Takatso as a strategic partner due to delays and competition policy challenges after three years in the making.
The decision comes weeks after Gordhan appeared before parliament’s public enterprises committee, probing allegations of irregularities regarding the sale made by former department director-general Kgathatso Tlhakudi, to present documents relating to the deal.
When Gordhan requested the meeting be held in camera and that MPs sign a non-disclosure agreement before documents were presented, this raised suspicions the minister “had something to hide”.
Gordhan has defended himself, saying he did not commit corruption and neither he nor his family benefit financially from the deal. “Suddenly I have become a corrupt individual in the eyes of some people without them having an iota of proof. If you find me having stolen one cent of public money you have something on your side which I do not have. Nobody can find that,” Gordhan said.
With the deal terminated a few months before the elections, he was certain the termination was not done under pressure.
“This was not done under pressure. This was a process professionally handled by the department and we came to the point where we say, maybe this is not the best route for SAA to be taken through,” he said.
Gordhan was confident the state entity, with improved revenue, could be profitable as Takatso will no longer be investing in it. The share sale started in June 2021 and Takatso was expected to invest more than R3bn over three years.
The work to improve and stabilise SAA finances will be managed by the new administration. The minister will retire from politics after the May 29 elections.
“There will be further steps taken by this sixth administration and the seventh administration to stabilise SAA. We are confident SAA will continue to fly and grow the number of routes and aircraft it is able to lease,” he said.