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Dudu Myeni has skill to rescue troubled SAA‚ President Zuma says

Picture credit: Veli Nhlapo.
Picture credit: Veli Nhlapo.

President Jacob Zuma on Tuesday expressed confidence in South African Airways (SAA) chairperson Dudu Myeni’s ability to lift the troubled national airline out of its difficulties.

He told MPs during a question-and-answer session in the National Assembly that the national airline had‚ for a very long time‚ experienced difficulties and that different CEOs and chairpersons had not succeeded in overcoming this.

Myeni‚ a close associate of Zuma whom many blame for the airline’s woes‚ had been working closely with the Treasury to get SAA out of trouble‚ the President said.

Replying to a question by DA leader Mmusi Maimane as to whether he had confidence in Myeni‚ whose leadership Maimane said had proved disastrous for the airline‚ Zuma said‚ “Yes‚ I do”.

She‚ along with other members of the SAA board‚ had been appointed by the Cabinet‚ who had confidence in all the board members‚ he said.

Questioned about the newly announced Presidential State-Owned Companies Co-ordinating Council‚ Zuma said it was one of the measures introduced as part of a “comprehensive refurbishment of the shareholder model of state-owned companies‚ in order to improve their functioning.”

The council would be responsible for co-ordinating the activities of state owned companies and would ensure improved oversight.

Its role was not to directly run projects or to take over responsibility from line function departments‚ Zuma stressed.

The inter-ministerial committee‚ chaired by Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa‚ remained responsible for overseeing the stabilisation and reform of state-owned companies. The committee was also implementing the recommendations of the review committee on state owned enterprises‚ Zuma said.

- TMG Digital/BDlive

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