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The fact that South African Airways (SAA) is now only flying one route domestically is a clear indication of how the airliner has all but collapsed.

It seems as though the writing is on the wall for everybody but the ANC government, who is clearly wedded to the continuous waste of public money.

We cannot continue to cling onto SAA for the sake of misplaced “national pride. ” The airline is an unmitigated disaster and has stumbled from one disaster to the next.

It is clear that the status quo at SAA is no untenable, and plans to turn the airliner around are simply pipe dreams.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) therefore calls for the unbundling of the SAA group, the sale of parts with potential and the complete shutdown of parts that have no future:

• Mango must be separated from the SAA Group and offered for sale preferably by way of a public offer and listing.
• Mango to take over SAA domestic routes that are profitable.
• Remaining SAA with international routes to be offered for sale.
• SA Express to be shut down and Mango to take over profitable domestic routes if any exist.
• Air Chefs Catering to be shutdown.
• SAA Technical, given the levels of fraud and corruption, to be shut down.

It is time that the ANC government woke up to this and clipped the wings of the moribund airline.

Issued by The DA