Is transformation the real cause for SAA’s woes?

KHAYA Buthelezi’s claim that the untransformed state of SAA lies at the heart of chairwoman Dudu Myeni’s woes (Business Report, November 18) is an outrageous red herring. By his paranoid obsession with coerced racial representivity, namely, transformation, Buthelezi completely ignores Myeni’s unilateral attempt to renegotiate the Airbus deal. By seeking to reverse the lease of 10 A320 aircraft for five A330 aircraft, Myeni would incur an additional cost of R1.5 billion – on top of the billions SAA has already swallowed in taxpayer bailouts.

Myeni’s unilateral insistence in pursuing that deal along with her vacuous rationale has alienated those who actually have expertise in airline management. It is her lack of proficiency that lies at the heart of the drama that is destabilising SAA’s management. And the reason for that is the policy of so-called transformation, which translated means cadre deployment. It’s also the reason for the mismanagement that troubles the Post Office, Eskom and other state-owned enterprises.

Also of note is that by his crass reference to sections of the private sector as “dark forces”, Buthelezi leaves no doubt as to his socialist ideological mindset. There is no smear campaign against Myeni, as he contends. Just a call for adherence to proper corporate governance. By defying that Myeni has only herself to blame. DUNCAN DU BOIS BLUFF, DURBAN