The details about the sale of SAA for R51 to the Takatso Consortium that Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan is desperately trying to keep secret may come out in a meeting of a Parliamentary Portfolio Committee today, depending on legal advice and whether the documents he provided warrant a closed sitting.

Moneyweb reports that the sale was announced in June 2021, and it was only under the threat of being subpoenaed that Gordhan last week provided the relevant documents to the Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises.

However, he insisted that the meeting take place behind closed doors and that members sign non-disclosure agreements.

The committee agreed to an in-camera meeting but refused the non-disclosures.

It is busy investigating the transaction after Kgathatso Tlhakudi, former DG of the Department of Public Enterprises, accused Gordhan of orchestrating the transaction to benefit people he favours.

In a letter to Gordhan, the chair and fellow ANC member Khayalethu Magaxa said: ‘The committee’s acquiescence to an in-camera meeting with you should not be read as an exaltation of secrecy above accountability, particularly where public funds are involved.’

The 51% stake in SAA was awarded to Takatso only six weeks after the airline emerged from business rescue.

DA MP and member of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Alf Lees says the ANC in Parliament is very likely hoping that the parliamentary legal advice on the Takatso deal will give them an excuse to maintain the secrecy around the deal that Gordhan seems to want to maintain.

‘From the outset of the Takatso deal, the DA has maintained that the R51 to be paid for the 51% of SAA shares was outrageous given that SAA was debt free and retained its assets including its fixed properties, routes and subsidiaries that are worth billions of rand.’

Full Moneyweb report