TimesLive reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) says the sudden appointment of the new interim SAA board “stinks” of corruption.

Department of Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan on Monday announced the appointment of an interim eight-member board, chaired by former tourism minister Derek Hanekom. Gordhan said the interim board, effective from 15 April, would serve until the introduction of strategic equity partner Takatso Consortium. According to Numsa, the timing was suspicious. It said Gordhan gave no reasons for firing the previous board nor what it had failed to do to justify the hasty removal. “Their statement was released shortly after we released a statement exposing Gordhan for secretly firing the old board of SAA on April 14 and replacing them. Their statement was a shoddy attempt to legitimise an illegitimate process. This proves that Numsa was right to question the motives of minister Gordhan,” claimed Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim. He listed reasons the union believed the sudden appointment “stinks of corruption”. The union said once Takatso took over there would be a sale of SAA’s assets. “They will need to raise money to fund the airline, and selling its assets is the fastest way to do that,” it asserted.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Shonisani Tshikalange at TimesLive

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