Holomisa demands answers as Parliamentary committee over SAA deal held in camera

Holomisa demands answers as Parliamentary committee over SAA deal held in camera

United Democratic Movement (UDM) leader Bantu Holomisa is up in arms after the meeting of the portfolio committee with the Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan was held in camera over the sale of SAA.

The meeting was to discuss allegations of impropriety against Gordhan after several attempts by the committee to call him into the meeting.

The allegations followed a complaint by former Director-General in the department Kgathatso Tlhakudi that there were irregularities in the deal.

But Gordhan had insisted that the SAA deal was above board.

In one meeting Gordhan refused to hand over two crucial documents to the portfolio committee

When the committee met in September, Gordhan wrote to it saying he would not be able to attend the meeting due to ill-health.

The committee reconvened on Wednesday, but the meeting was held in camera.

Holomisa wrote to President Cyril Ramaphosa and asked for action against the minister

“I refer to a February 22, 2024 memorandum from the chairperson of the committee on public enterprises, Mr Khayalethu E. Magaxa to Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan regarding ‘Alleged irregularities regarding the sale of SAA.’

“The content of the February 22 memorandum reveals that Minister Gordhan continues to play delaying tactics in the entire matter of the due diligence of the sale of SAA in that he does not want to/or had neglected to furnish the committee with a shortlist of entities from which the final determination was made,” wrote Holomisa.

“What is however most shocking is that the minister in essence wants to muzzle a parliamentary committee. Why have a meeting with the minister in camera and worse still want to have a parliamentary committee sign a non-disclosure agreement.?”

He said the UDM wants answers on the SAA-Takatso deal and why the airline was sold at a cut-price.

He said there were more questions than answers on the SAA sale and the meeting on Wednesday should have been opened to the public and not held in camera.

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