SA Express (SAX) workers respond to DPE’s media statement
20 July 2020
The SA Express Workers wish to state their disappointment with the media statement DPE released on 10 July 2020.
The media statement makes reference to the R1.2 billion that was allocated to the airline. In the statement, the DPE alludes to the fact that they have no knowledge of what the airline utilised the funds for.
The SAX Workers wish to put it on record that the funds were released with conditions attached, as per communication from Dondo Mogajane, DGof National Treasury dated 23 October 2018. The key condition was that the funds only be utilised to repay SA Express Government guaranteed debt.
This was actioned and communicated to the DPE in a letter dated 13 March 2019. For the department to keep on mentioning that the funds were meant to address the airlines “solvency and liquidity problems” is factually incorrect as the funds had to be channelled to specific suppliers only.
The SAX Workers therefore find it disingenuous that the DPE is now not aware of what the funds got utilised for.
The matter of the rampant corruption that took place at SA Express happened under the DPE watch - they appointed the Board and CEO’s and ratified the appointment of the Executive. It is therefore shocking that they now throw this at the workers' faces when they took no action to stop the corruption and looting when it was taking place.
The SAX Workers have engaged with the DPE and proposed that they be offered retrenchment packages and the salary owed to them, workers last received their salary in February 2020. The workers are still waiting for a tangible response from DPE and feel that they are being punished for the mismanagement of the airline under the department's leadership.
The workers appeal to DPE to engage in good faith and not punish them by rehashing the facts that have been in the public domain to justify theill-treatment. The workers’ plea is to be treated fairly just like theSAA employees and be let go with dignity – pay salary owed andretrenchment packages.
Issued by Michael Hlatswayo on behalf of SAX, 21 July 2020
