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Union wants answers as gaps left by SAX grounding are plugged

15th June 2018

By: Rebecca Campbell

Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

     

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South African Airways (SAA) has created an extended flight schedule to replace the capacity lost with the grounding of the SA Express airline by the South African Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). (This grounding was because of “severe cases of non-compliance that pose serious safety risks” found by the CAA in an audit of the airline, stated the authority in its press release of May 24.)

The extended flight schedule will be in effect for 12 months. “The year-long schedule brings travel certainty and choice for customers who may want to travel from today 29 May 2018 until 28 May 2019,” said SAA spokesperson Tlali Tlali. “Through our collaborative efforts with partner airlines (SAA, SA Airlink and Mango Airlines), we are pleased that we can now offer customers a year-long schedule intended to ensure business continuity for all stakeholders and the markets affected.” Like SA Express, SAA and Mango are State-owned (Mango is part of the SAA Group) but Airlink is a private-sector company.

The replacement flights on three of four international routes are awaiting regulatory approval. They are the Cape Town-Walvis Bay, Johannesburg-Walvis Bay and Johannesburg-Lubumbashi services. The exception is Johannesburg-Gaborone. On the domestic side, the relief schedule covers routes between Johannesburg and Bloemfontein, East London, George, Hoedspruit, Kimberley, and Richards Bay; between Cape Town and Bloemfontein , East London, Hoedspruit, and Port Elizabeth; and between Durban and East London. “We trust that the measures introduced provide more clarity on the capacity and sustainability of the relief schedule during the suspension of SA Express services,” stated Tlali.

SA Express has, according to its website, a fleet of 24 regional aircraft, all from Canadian manufacturer Bombardier. The fleet is composed of ten 50-seat CRJ200 regional jets, four 70-seat CRJ700 regional jets and ten 74-seat Q400 turboprops. However, the CAA stated in its press release that the SA Express fleet numbered 21 aircraft.

Separately, Trade union Solidarity claimed that the reported fuel purchase contract, which failed to follow prescribed tender procedures, placed by State-owned airline SA Express with a little known company, EML Energy, had been placed while Victor Xaba had been acting CEO of the airline. Xaba is now acting CEO of Denel Aeronautics. The deal was reportedly signed by SA Express executives Miriam Machoele and Sam Vilakazi. According to the union’s press release, Machoele had affirmed that she had had authorisation from Xaba to sign the contract.

The three-year contract was worth R2.4-billion and was awarded despite the fact that SA Express already had a ten-year contract with South African Airways (a separate State-owned airline) for the supply of fuel. According to the company website, EML was set up in 2006, was active at Denel’s Aeronautics facility at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport as well as at the Polokwane International Airport and owned a fuel farm with a capacity of 576 000 litres. But it does not seem to have yet supplied a single litre to SA Express.

“It is alarming that such a major deal, for which tender procedures were not followed at all, could slip past a CEO unnoticed,” asserted Solidarity Deputy General Secretary Deon Reyneke. “If Mr Xaba was worth his salt as a CEO, he would have seen to it that the tender process took its lawful course, and the controversial R2.4-billion tender would not have been awarded to an unknown music promoter.” (Media reports describe EML CEO Eldridge Motlhake as a music promoter. According to his LinkedIn profile, he founded TKO Promotions – “Entertainment, Total Events and Project Management Solutions, Integrated Marketing and Communications” – in 2002.)

Solidarity called for explanations regarding Xaba’s appointment to Denel Aeronautics from both Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan and new Denel Board Chairperson Monhla Hlahla. “It is imperative that Denel now appoint accountable managers in its ranks to ensure the company’s future, instead of merely moving cadres linked to possible tender irregularities at other State enterprises from one to the other.”


Highlights

The extended schedule to replace SA Express flights will be in effect for 12 months

Trade union upset that former SA Express acting CEO is now Denel Aeronautics acting CEO

Edited by Martin Zhuwakinyu
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

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