This can only be attributed to the privilege of being a white male and a citizen of our former colonizer.
The Department of Public Enterprises' Director General, Kgathatso Tlhakudi has been slammed for lying about SAA's newly appointed interim CEO's experience. This comes after Phillip Saunders was announced as SAA's interim CEO.
Public enterprises acting director-general Kgathatso Tlhakudi announced Saunders’ appointment on Tuesday, highlighting the extensive experience Saunders brought to the embattled airline.
It turns out that Saunders has no qualifications in aviation but hold a BA dgree in Languages and an MA in Journalism. He was appointed as SAA's Chief Commercial Officer only in 2019 after he worked for an small airline in an island in Kuwait.
SAA's previous CEO Vuyani Jarana resigned last year after he complained about Minister Pravin Gordhan's interference. Jarana has a Bachelor Commerce and a Masters of Business Administration (MBA).
The National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) and the South African Cabin Crew Association (Sacca) have criticised the appointment of the new SAA interim chief executive Phillip Saunders on Tuesday.
The unions said Saunders lacked the needed experience and was part of the executive leadership which helped collapse the financially troubled airline. SAA evaded possible liquidation on Tuesday after its contentious business rescue plan finally secured overwhelming backing from creditors and stakeholders.
The African Transformation Movement (ATM) says Saunders appointment is an insult to the talented men and women of South Africa.
This is Phillip Saunders, A British National Yey he’s just been given a job as an SAA interim CEO. To top it off he has no relevant aviation qualification. #PutSouthAfricansFirst why are non South Africans being prioritized for jobs with 30 million citizens going to bed hungry? pic.twitter.com/8odnIlc7Rf
— LUNGAH (@Lungah__) July 15, 2020
“According to the sketchy profile of Mr Saunders gleaned from LinkedIn it’s even questionable why in August 2019 he was appointed as Chief Commercial Officer in SAA when his experience was based only on the tiny operations in places like Malta (small island) and Kuwait.
“Saunders has not finished even a year at SAA in his current Chief Commercial Officer role yet he is seen as the best candidate to be interim CEO. This can only be attributed to the privilege of being a white male and a citizen of our former coloniser. He will just be a tool that will never stand up to Gordhan.
“How did Saunders even qualify to get a work permit to be in South Africa in the first place when being a commercial officer is not listed as a scarce and critical skill.
“SAA has a lot more complexities than airlines with a fleet of less than a handful of aeroplanes. Why was internal talent overlooked? The Saunders appointment represents the continued arrogance of Pravin Gordhan who seems hell-bent not to appoint Africans into any CEO role.” reads ATM statement.
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