'RET activists' praise Dudu Myeni after appearing in court

Former SAA board chairperson Dudu Myeni appears in the North Gauteng High Court, in the Palace of Justice defending a legal action by Outa and the SAA Pilot Association to declare her a delinquent director while at the helm at the nation airliner for six years. Picture: Thobile Mathonsi/African News Agency (ANA)

Former SAA board chairperson Dudu Myeni appears in the North Gauteng High Court, in the Palace of Justice defending a legal action by Outa and the SAA Pilot Association to declare her a delinquent director while at the helm at the nation airliner for six years. Picture: Thobile Mathonsi/African News Agency (ANA)

Published Feb 20, 2020

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Durban - Radical economic transformation (RET) supporters Andile Mngxitama and Nkosentsha Shezi have praised embattled former SAA board chairperson Dudu Myeni for using her court appearance on Thursday to defend their cause.

Myeni who is opposing an application by Outa and the SAA Pilots Association in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, to declare her a delinquent director  

Outa accuses Myeni of having abused her powers while she was at the helm of SAA. 

Mngxitama, who is the leader of the Black Land First (BLF), said Myeni dispelled the notion that SAA was on its knees because of being run by incompetent black leaders. 

“She has successfully shown that we are dealing with a systematic propaganda campaign based on pure lies and manufactured facts. 

“No one today should be confused of how devious the enemies of transformation are,” said Mngxitama. 

Testifying, Myeni said she was opposed to Emirates Airlines enjoying the lucrative South Africa routes at the expense of the SAA. 

She said she found it unfair that Emirates planes had been allowed to land at OR Tambo, Cape Town and King Shaka international airports, which was not with case with SAA in other countries.

“We as South African Airways did not get the kind of permission in other countries. 

“You land in any country and you go back, and you do not do the internal routes or you don’t land in other destinations within the country,” she said. 

She also said she never discussed any SAA deal with former president Jacob Zuma whom she said had nothing to do with her appointment.

Shezi who is the leader of RET activists in KwaZulu-Natal said SAA could not give its route to its competitors and expect to survive.

“Since Myeni has left the SAA, it has become worse than it was (under her). Therefore we are saying the case brought against Dudu Myeni is one of those vilification cases where black managers are made to feel shy to make bold decisions because of fear of being taken to court and declared delinquent directors,” said Shezi.

He said Myeni was facing the same predicament faced by Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane.

“By so doing they are making sure that they are creating a situation where black managers will not be bold enough to deal with white monopoly capital,” said Shezi.  

Political Bureau

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