Cabinet has approved Professor John Lamola’s permanent appointment as the group chief executive officer of South African Airways (SAA) for a two-year term. However, the decision has sparked controversy, with the Democratic Alliance (DA) filing a complaint with the Public Protector against Deputy President Paul Mashatile and Transport Minister Barbara Creecy for alleged undue political interference in the selection process.
The SAA board initially recommended Allan Kilavuka, the current CEO of Kenya Airways, as the preferred candidate. Philip Saunders also ranked higher than Lamola.
“The decision to side-line Kilavuka, along with the highest-scoring candidate, Philip Saunders, in favour of Lamola, who ranked the lowest in independent competency assessments, raises serious concerns about the integrity and transparency of the process,” the party said in a statement.
The DA noted that Creecy and Mashatile reportedly conducted private interviews with Lamola and Kilavuka months after the SAA board had already shortlisted and interviewed candidates. The DA argues that this intervention compromised the integrity of the selection process.
The DA further alleged that the deputy president and Creecy had private interviews at Mashatile’s residence, describing it as “an apparent attempt to manipulate the outcome in favour of a politically connected candidate”. Claiming the move was another example of “cadre deployment”, which the DA has consistently opposed.
In response, Creecy congratulated Lamola just before a scheduled post-Cabinet briefing. Meanwhile, Rise Mzansi has called for the parliamentary portfolio committee on transport to investigate the matter, demanding clarity on the selection process. The party warned that if responses from SAA, Mashatile, and Creecy were unsatisfactory, it would explore further legislative mechanisms to address the issue.
“This latest scandal at SAA represents yet another chapter in the ANC’s attempt to maintain control over key state institutions for its own political gain, at the expense of good governance and the citizens of South Africa,” Rise Mzansi concluded. – moneyweb.co.za
