Fiscal constraints meant the government had to opt for a “phased recapitalization” rather than giving SAA all the money it wanted in one go, they added.
The new executives will also have to establish a close working relationship with Finance Minister Tito Mboweni, who this year likened giving state funds to Eskom to pouring water into a sieve and last year said SAA should be closed down. The airline has not made a profit since 2011.
A further complication comes from labor unions and sections of Ramaphosa’s governing African National Congress party that vehemently oppose efforts to trim the two firms’ bloated workforces.