Sparks fly at Fireblade meeting

The Oppenheimer family yesterday fiercely defended their operation of a private terminal at OR Tambo International Airport at a meeting with MPs fraught with tension and disruption.

The briefing to parliament’s home affairs portfolio committee was at one stage disrupted by members of Black First Land First (BLF), one of whom manhandled Nicky Oppenheimer, one of South Africa’s richest men.

BLF leader Andile Mngxitama was forcefully removed by parliamentary security personnel after he started shouting “shut down Fireblade”, referring to Fireblade Aviation, the Oppenheimer family’s company that runs the private terminal for VIP and VVIP passengers

“This family is a criminal family. You are allowing them to lie to you. Nicky and his father went to the ANC. They captured the ANC,” shouted Mngxitama.

BLF members had earlier taken up seats between MPs and near the Oppenheimers.

One man went up to Nicky and Jonathan Oppenheimer, pointing his finger at them and manhandling them before members of the parliamentary security team stepped in and forcefully ejected him and others, including Mngxitama.

Following the chaos, the meeting continued with both Nicky and Jonathan Oppenheimer denying the private terminal was operated exclusively for the family.

“Since inception, including domestic and international operations, we have had some 13 884 movements. The vast majority of those have been domestic movements and the family itself has been responsible for 5% of those movements, so it is by no means exclusively used for the family,” said Jonathan Oppenheimer.

Outlining what led to the court case which saw Fireblade challenge Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba’s about-turn on what appears to be a 2016 decision by the minister to approve the operation of a private customs and immigration service at the terminal, Nicky Oppenheimer said the legal battle was a “last resort”.

He said he and his son decided to “invest in a world-class gateway into South Africa” and began with plans to set up the R150 million facility.

Fireblade Aviation then negotiated with Denel to lease its space at OR Tambo airport and had received some 27 approvals from various government departments and entities.

Nicky Oppenheimer said he met with Gigaba in January 2016 in Pretoria and the minister’s final approval for the customs and immigration service to be provided at the terminal was granted.

“Following this meeting, home affairs failed to act on the approval granted by the minister and it soon became clear there was no intention of honouring this [agreement].” – ANA