SATAWU PRESS RELEASE ON SAA (KMPG) REPORT REGARDING ITS FORMER CEO.
SATAWU is VINDICATED. When SATAWU raised an alarm about unbecoming behaviour of SAA management, SATAWU was accused of spreading unfounded allegations, here we are, KPMG report emphasize what SATAWU members at SAA have been saying all along.
Lot of sacrifices were made by workers to turn around the financial situation of SAA, i.e. accepting a wage freeze and changes to their conditions of employment for 2006 /07 year as well as accepting the VSP in 2007, instead the CEO decided to do the exact opposite, and still get the hand shake from the board to leave SAA.
Much as SATAWU welcomes the report, it is disappointing to note that investigations were not extended to SAA Board. It was important to extend it to the board to check whether it had handled the question of governance properly. It is not too late, that extension must still be made so that those that have defrauded SAA must be brought to book as well. That must also include management team.
This victory by SATAWU was not an easy victory, the previous board refused to conduct such investigations. SATAWU had to approach the Minister of the Department of Public Enterprise Comrade Brigitte Mabandla, much as she was newly appointed in the department, she showed guts by agreeing to the investigation.
Another disappointment is that when SATAWU called for the CEO to do honourable thing and resign, the board decided to give him the hand shake of R13 million, which is another immoral profiteering and greed exercise that SATAWU condemns in the strongest terms. SAA must get that money back from him.
Let the law take its course on all those that are found to be culprits in this matter. SAA must get-back everything that belongs to it without reservations.
Some people called for privatization of SAA, SATAWU re-iterate what it already said, SAA (State owned Enterprise) can be self sufficient with proper management and accountability. KPMG report confirms that SATAWU was correct.
Though this is a good start, SATAWU believes that this is the tip of the iceberg in relation to the misuse of public money by executives of the SOEs. Government must institute such audits in all SOEs so that the public can know how its money is being spent.
Statement issued by Kenneth Monnana, Satawu National Aviation Sector Coordinator, July 22 2010
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