COLLISION COURSE: Parliament summons SAA, demanding answers to deepening financial turmoil and turbulent governance
Parliament’s standing committee on appropriation could meet the leadership of national flag carrier SAA days after the municipal elections over its governance tensions and precarious finances.
Parliament’s appropriation committee plans to summon SAA’s leadership in the days following South Africa’s municipal elections, amid mounting concerns over the national carrier’s governance and financial turmoil. Transport Minister Barbara Creecy has requested that SAA board chair Sedzani Mudau answer questions regarding the airline’s governance and financial issues.
Committee chair Bosa leader Mmusi Maimane revealed to Daily Maverick that an “urgent committee meeting” is scheduled, with SAA expected to present “properly crafted financial statements.”
Internal SAA information raised serious worries about “executive appointments and the accuracy of SAA’s financial standing,” according to Maimane’s letter to Creecy, dated 19 October. The committee seeks answers on employee concerns, the current financial situation, the utilization of the R1.1-billion proceeds from selling a Heathrow slot, and any anticipated requests for state support.
The standing committee on appropriations, responsible for overseeing public fund allocation and spending, also aims to ensure fiscal accountability and transparency while monitoring spending patterns and investigating irregularities. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced that SAA received a R1-billion guarantee in August for working capital requirements due to “pressure on its operations and finances from the fuel price shock.”
Additional R223-million in government guarantees cover unflown ticket liabilities—effectively refunds—and credits.
SAA failed to submit its 2025/26 annual report by the statutory deadline of 30 September due to ongoing audit proceedings. Creecy informed Parliament that the annual financial statements are expected to be finalized and ready for tabling by the end of October 2026. Recent flight reductions and delayed salary payments have illuminated SAA’s precarious financial state.
Maimane noted the airline’s reduced flight regularity and mentioned that staff are being paid in intervals from 27 to 30 October, marking the second such salary delay.
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