SAA’s New Interim Board Holds 1st Meeting on Asset Valuation and Audit Outcomes, SA Surprised SOE Still Exists

• The newly appointed South African Airways board will hold its first meeting on Wednesday, 19 April
• The appointment of the board has been marred by controversy after trade union Numsa claimed it reeked of corruption
• South Africans are surprised that SAA even has a board and had assumed the struggling airline was defunct

JOHANNESBURG - The new South African Airways (SAA) interim board will have its first meeting on Wednesday, 19 April, only days after Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan appointed it.

Top on the newly minted board's agenda is the valuation of SAA assets and strategies for good audit outcomes.

Pravin Gordhan appoints Dereck Hanekom SAA board chairperson

Gordhan appointed ANC stalwart and former tourism minister Dereck Hanekom as the chairperson of the embattled airline's board, Daily Maverick reported.

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The appointment of the interim board has been subject to backlash from trade unions such as the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa).

Numsa claims SAA board appointment is corrupt

Numsa said the sudden appointment reeks of corruption, while suspended Public Enterprises Directer General Kgathatso Tlhakudi alleges that SAA's assets have been undervalued.

However, Hanekom rubbished the allegations, reducing them to an understandable negative narrative, SABC News reported.

Hanekom said:

"Some of it is perhaps based on completely false assumptions and false information. So the notion that this board was appointed in order to cover up any wrongdoing of the past is completely wrong."

Derek Hanekom believes SAA can be restored to its former glory

Speaking on the monumental task the SAA interim board before it, Hanekom said he believes in the airline and is confident the board can get it back on track.

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Hanekom said:

"It’s going to be a long road, but it is on the road to recovery as we speak.”

South Africans are surprised that SAA is still operational and question why the board is meeting

Below are some comments:

Christine Jurgens demanded:

"SAA is useless, shut it down."

Bhelekazi Khuboni asked:

"Do we still have SAA? I thought it was sold."

Bhuti Sinyori Baka Malamulele added:

"I thought someone bought it a long time ago, new board coming in shows the company is still alive."

Adelle Naude claimed:

"Discussing and meetings will do nothing..."

Kevin Ball joked:

"So glad to hear that our government's private taxi service is back up and running."

SA’s skills drain sees pilots leaving South Africa for the US as airlines continue to struggle

In another story, Briefly News reported that South African pilots were jetting off to the United States for new opportunities after several local airlines were forced to close down.

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South Africa's flag carrier, SA Airways (SAA), was forced to cut the number of pilots by over 80%.

Mango, SA's low-cost carrier, has been grounded for over a year, and many speculate that it will never return to the sky. SA Express, which hasn't flown since the onset of the pandemic, was placed in final liquidation.

Source: Briefly News