Cape Town – Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa asked members of Parliament to be patient and wait for the Medium-term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) to hear how government plans to inject capital into South African Airways (SAA).
He was responding to a question from Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Mmusi Maimane who asked if he in his capacity as Deputy President advised Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba on the latest R3bn bailout to SAA.
At the end of September, Gigaba announced that National Treasury granted SAA a R3bn bailout to ensure the airline meets its debt obligation to Citibank and have working capital going forward.
Ramaphosa on Thursday said government is poignantly aware of the challenges the airline is facing. “Selling off the airline is your party’s policy platform, not the ANC’s,” he told Maimane who earlier said SAA should be sold off to the highest bidder.
“The Finance Minster will in his MTBPS on Wednesday set out exactly how SAA will be funded and how this will affect South Africa’s fiscus, the conditions attached to the money and how we’ll deal with regulatory matters such as the PFMA (Public Finance Management Act).”
Ramaphosa said he was heartened by the appointment of the new SAA board and that South Africans can look forward to a clear, strategic approach.
Gigaba earlier today officially announced that Cabinet has approved the appointment of six new board members for South African Airways (SAA), including a new chairperson to replace Dudu Myeni.
Myeni is replaced by Johannes Bhekumuzi Magwaza as the new chairperson, and Nolitha Fakude is the new deputy chairperson and non-executive director, replacing Tryphosa Ramano.
New board members who will serve as non-executive directors are Geoff Rothschild, Ahmed Bassa – an aviation expert, Tinyiko Mhlari, and Martin Kingston.
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