The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) has questioned the favourable, lenient and positive reportage over Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan who is facing serious security over his dodgy privatisation of some of the state owned enterprises.
In a statement issued by the General Secretary of the union on Saturday, Numsa questioned some members of the media who “behaved like extensions of Gordhan’s propaganda machinery because they embedded themselves in his faction.”
“We have noted how they write glowingly about his tenure and gloss over his complete failures as Public Enterprises minister. The manner in which Gordhan has conducted himself on SAA is another form of state capture.
“Unfortunately these media houses have shamelessly glossed over his attempts to cover up the dodgy Takatso deal, and they lack the guts to call him out for his corrupt behaviour. History will judge them for their dishonesty and their cowardice.
“As much as we want Gordhan to leave, we also demand accountability. He cannot be allowed to get away with selling SAA for far less than its value. Workers at SAA wanted to use their pensions to invest in the airline so that they could be shareholders, but he denied them that opportunity
“Instead, he engineered the deal so that it can be sold to people handpicked by him, for less than a R100! Most of the workers who were retrenched remain unemployed. Gordhan’s sins must not go unpunished. We demand justice, on behalf of the working class which has suffered immeasurably under his tenure. As Numsa we say ‘Good riddance to bad rubbish!’.“
Gordhan faces serious criticism over the most questionable sale of SAA, which was placed under business rescue, and more than 3000 workers lost their jobs.
Numsa has been vocal in criticising Gordhan, who the union said engineered a deal to sell 51% of the state owned airline to Takatso consortium, which he’s accused to have handpicked.
Gordhan’s party the ANC and Parliament’s oversight body, the Standing committee on Public Accounts Scopa and the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises capitulated to Gordhan’s outrageous demands where Gordhan shockingly demanded members of Parliament sign a non-disclosure agreement before Gordhan could disclose details of the sale of SAA to the alleged handpicked consortium.
“They are the most powerful organs of the state, but they behaved like meek little lambs in the face of Gordhan’s rampant mismanagement. They are actively participating in covering up the Takatso deal at SAA, by acquiescing to his demands for secrecy. Gordhan sold a glorious airline, which was once valued at over R14 billion in 2017, for a mere R51 to the Takatso Consortium. This is an example of rampant corruption, but all of these bodies are too cowardly to admit that,” read Numsa’s statement.
Sunday Independent