The trap has been set for Finance Minister, Tito Mboweni and he may well be caught out, say economic experts. The minister is in a trap because now the government is responsible for finding about R16 billion to keep the bankrupt SAA airline alive.
Observers point out that Mboweni may have no choice but to seize the R16 billion from the Covid Pandemic’s Emergency Fund. Should that happen, thousands of black people and their unions will be on the back foot, because it is money that should used to alleviate the people’s need, it is said.
The argument would probably be that the R16 billion would also be transferred to SAA to keep about 2,500 jobs standing, but the minister was previously very determined when it was said that no more money would be paid over to SAA.
Analysts reckon that a new airline, as intended by the ANC government cannot start without money, which raises the question of how much it will cost, and where the money will come from?
Aircraft must be taken over from SAA if a new company is established, and there are no guarantees that it will also not run the same route of destruction as SAA.
Read the original article in Afrikaans on Die Vryburger
South Africa Today – South Africa News
