DA calls on Parliament to investigate Bezuidenhout's CV discrepancies 

25 January 2015

Contrary to denials by the SAA board and its acting-CEO, Nico Bezuidenhout, the DA now has in its possession prima facie evidence that Mr Bezuidenhout misrepresented his qualifications in his CV when applying for the license to start Mango Airlines in 2006.

I have today written to the Chairperson of Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises, Dipuo Letsatsi-Duba, requesting that she summon Mr Bezuidenhout to appear before the Committee and explain the discrepancies in his CV's.

Following a Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) application, the DA was furnished with the following documents:

Mr Bezuidenhout's CV that was lodged as part of the 2006 submission to the Air Services Licensing Council for the license to start Mango, and

An amended CV that was updated with the Council in 2010.

In the 2006 CV, Mr Bezuidenhout claims that he completed a BComm degree (studied for during 1997 and 2000) from the University of South Africa.

In the amended version submitted in 2010 - once Mr Bezuidenhout had been installed in the job for four years - he states that the completion of his degree had been delayed.

Any employer looking to employ Mr Bezuidenhout on the basis of his 2006 CV would believe that Mr Bezuidenhout had a B Comm. 

Given the way his CV is worded, it is no surprise that the drafters of the SAA Annual Reports claimed, incorrectly, that he held this degree in subsequent Annual Reports. 

Not only does it appear that Mr Bezuidenhout misrepresented his qualifications in his 2006 CV when he applied for the Mango job, it also appears that he and the SAA Board lied in their damage control efforts after the story broke in the Sunday Times.

SAA said in a statement on 24 November 2014 that "any claim that Mr Bezuidenhout misrepresented his qualifications is blatantly untrue."

Mango Board chairperson Rashid Wally said in a statement on 24 November 2014 that "as Mango board member and later as chairperson, I confirm that the academic narrative contained in Mr Bezuidenhout 's CV, as presented to the board prior to Mango's launch in 2006, was factually correct and accurate."

For his part, Mr Bezuidenhout said: "What does take away from support and respect for me and my credibility is false accusations about me lying or manipulating information."

Unfortunately for Mr Bezuidenhout, the evidence suggests that he did claim to have a BComm on his 2006 CV.

The only way to resolve this is for the Portfolio Committee to summon Mr Bezuidenhout and the SAA Board to appear before it to explain the discrepancies. 

Statement issued by Natasha Michael MP, DA Shadow Minister Public Enterprises, January 25 2015

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