Ex-Public Enterprises DG denies selected Takatso Consortium as the preferred partner to buy SAA

Parliament said on Friday that National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa Nqakula has received a letter from former Public Enterprises Director-General Kgathatso Tlhakudi on the now cancelled SAA deal.

Tlakhudi’s letter comes as he denies signing off on a memorandum that selected Takatso Consortium as the preferred special equity partner to buy SAA.

Before the deal to sell a majority stake to Takatso was cancelled this week, Parliament’s legal advisor Andile Tetyana had told a committee meeting that Tlakhudi led the selection committee.

Tlhakudi’s letter to the speaker is related to a submission made by Tetyana last week, where he said the former DG led the evaluation committee that selected Takatso.

Tetyana told the committee that Tlhakudi led the committee after the Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) pulled out as transaction advisor.

But Tlhakudi denies this and the existence of a memorandum by former DG Jacky Molisane during his absence.

Parliament Spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said Tlhakudi’s letter has been referred to the legal department and that the National Assembly table for advice on the appropriate course of action.

Mothapo said the initial inability to locate the letter was because it was misdirected leading to delays in its proper filing.

Before his letter to Parliament, Tlhakudi had been at loggerheads with Minister Pravin Gordhan, who he accused of corruption and issuing irregular instructions on the now-defunct SAA deal.

-EWN

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