UDM's Bantu Holomisa to challenge SAA sale to Takatso consortium

Picture: Henk Kruger/African News Agency (ANA) Archives

Picture: Henk Kruger/African News Agency (ANA) Archives

Published Jun 21, 2021

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Cape Town - The United Democratic Movement (UDM) says it intends to challenge Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan’s announcement regarding the 51% sale of SAA to Takatso Consortium.

It says Takatso was recently fingered in wrongdoing.

On Monday, UDM leader Bantu Holomisa said his political party met with its legal team to discuss court action. They would meet Gordhan in court.

“As we all know by now, Takatso Consortium is comprised of Global Aviation and Harith General Partners; the latter which was fingered by the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the Allegations of Impropriety at the Public Investment Corporation (the Mpati Commission), Holomisa said.

“The entire SAA deal has been nebulous, and it is unclear how government prioritised Harith as a partner after the negative things the Mpati Commission had to say about it.

"The UDM has therefore decided to brief our lawyers and will go ahead and challenge Minister Gordhan’s decision in court."

In his announcement on Friday, June 11, Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan described the selection of the consortium as a “groundbreaking” decision for the government.

"We have looked long and hard at the proposals submitted, and our clear choice of a preferred partner is the Takatso Consortium,“ Gordhan said.

“The objective of bringing in an equity partner to SAA is to augment it with the required technical, financial and operational expertise to ensure a sustainable, agile and viable South African airline. SAA will contribute to the venture, the brand, the flag, landing slots, route licences, lounges and a successful loyalty programme (Voyager).

"With this partnership, we believe we are closer to achieving the important objective of having a sustainable national airline. The new SAA will not be dependent on the fiscus. It will be agile enough to cope with the current uncertainty, and improvement, in global travel."

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Political Bureau