Portfolio Committee accused of lying in SAA-Takatso report

The Portfolio Committee on public enterprises is accused of lying in its report on the cancelled SAA-Takatso Consortium deal.

The accusation comes as the committee met on Wednesday to adopt its report on the controversial sale of a 51% stake in SAA.

PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ACCUSED OF LYING IN THE REPORT ABOUT THE SAA-TAKATSO DEAL

Earlier this month, Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan announced that the SAA-Takatso Consortium deal has been cancelled.

The committee met on Wednesday, 27 March, and is adamant that the SIU must investigate the deal.

(WATCH) Public Enterprises Committee Chairperson Khaya Magaxa says they have concluded that the SAA/Takatso transaction was not above board. Transaction advisors Rand Merchant Bank were “handpicked” and value of SAA and Takatso offer were “worlds apart”. #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/bY28JLlcKn

— Bulelani Phillip (@BulelaniPhillip) March 20, 2024

On the same day, the DPE said the conclusions of the portfolio committee in the report are inconsistent with the mandate – to ascertain whether there was any merit to the allegations levelled by former DG Kgathatso Tlhakudi.

The department accused the committee’s chair, Khaya Magaxa, of overlooking critical submissions by itself and Gordhan “and opened the door to Mr Tlhakudi to keep altering his false narratives to hoodwink the public”.

“The committe’s conclusions even defy a declaration by Parliament’s legal advisor Andile Tetyana, who told the committee he found no sign of corruption in the proposed deal,” the department said.

“Based on its early assessment, the DPE has found the report to be riddled with conjecture, fabrications, distortions, and lies aimed at impugning the reputation of the DPE, its staff, and that of Pravin Gordhan,” the department added.

WILL THE SIU BE ROPED IN TO PROBE THE DEAL?

Last week, DPE slammed the committee chair for saying he would ask the Speaker to institute an investigation by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) into the SAA-Takatso deal.

“The issue was whether there was any impropriety in the deal. Parliament’s legal adviser pronounced this, saying the deal had no corruption. Yet, Magaxa sees it fit to conflate issues by entertaining new lies by the former DG,” the department said.

According to DPE, Tlhakudi signed off on the correspondence addressed to prospective partners while evaluating the expressions of interest.

Furthermore, DPE is adamant that Gordhan did not hand in the Takatso Consortium; instead, it was appointed through a process that Tlhakudi led.

Gordhan, has reportedly threatened to take Parliament to court for proposing that the SIU looks into the collapsed deal, The Citizen reported.

STATEMENT: DPE APPALLED BY POLITICAL MECHANISATIONS BY CHAIR OF PARLIAMENT’S PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC ENTERPRISES pic.twitter.com/KI1QC4qNbJ

— DPE_ZA (@DPE_ZA) March 20, 2024