The exit of former SAA
board chairperson, Dudu
Myeni, was agreed roughly
14 months ago and her
continued presence was one
of the factors that had set
back SAA’s recovery.
This was one of the
comments made by
former Finance Minister,
Pravin Gordhan, who was
greeted at the conference
with a standing ovation.
Commenting on the scenario
that had Dudu been moved
out then, he said: “SAA
would be very different today.
It would not be under the
financial pressure it
is under.”
The former minister, who
was frequently referred to as
“minister” by the audience
said the Treasury used to
have good relations with
SAA’s debtors and if it had
been given the time to
put the right executives in
place and make sure that
there was a more sensible
strategy, SAA would already
now have the beginnings
of a viable business
proposition. “We’ve lost
about 18 months.”
Ominously, he added
that, with the new board
in place, people needed to
take a close look at who the
people were and what their
associations were.
The former minister said
the coming ANC Congress
mattered for the ANC, South
Africa, SA’s standing in Africa
and globally. According to
him, a new ANC leadership
under Cyril Ramaphosa
would see corruption cleaned
out within three months,
the country would have
more investment and higher
consumer confidence, and
more jobs as a result.
