SAA is a disgrace

Twice in two months. TWICE IN TWO MONTHS! At the same airport! Same offence! Ok this time the drugs were different. 2kg coke instead of 50kg dope. An SAA crew member phoned 702 this morning saying that this sort of thing has been going on for a while, and not just to London. After the first incident SAA promised, *promised* to improve security checks for SAA crew leaving ORT (apparently SAA does this on its own - ACSA's normal procedures have never been applicable). This guy says precisely nothing has changed, and that he is pulling himself off the London flights to avoid being arrested (they tend to lock up the entire crew over there).



SAA has received taxpayer money every single year since they lost a squidgillion betting against the rand. This year's budget gave them another R1.6 billion. When will SAA return to profitability? I'm not even asking overall - just operating! How hard can it be? Yes fuel is expensive and demand has collapsed, but the reverse was true 5 years ago and they were still making losses then. Africa is the least competitive, most profitably airspace in the world. Risks are fairly high but margins are much higher. They should be creaming it, because as rubbish as they are, only Kenya Airways sort of touches sides with their coverage and service.

SAA's long-standing CEO is some kinda megalomaniac corporate gangster who seemingly had to report to no-one but Crazy Alec Erwin. But he has now been suspended by the SAA Board pending the outcome of an internal investigation into his "gross mismanagement". I forget who the new Minister of Public Enterprises is, but praise be to that person for forcing some accountability of Don Khaya.

The Springboks and Proteas don't fly SAA. Government officials shouldn't, because the Public Finance Management Act requires that the cheapest be used. But some okes have some weird patriotism thing going where they feel they have to fudge their requirements to make the SAA quote the right one for them. They just have to spend more taxpayer money than they need.

I hope the new finance minister stops giving them money. I hope they are allowed to go pop, Lehman-style. We don't need a flag carrier. Especially not if it regularly embarrasses the country like it did yesterday, and last month, and all those other times before.