Recently, the Democratic Alliance (DA) released a list of former government officials and politicians who have been flying on taxpayers’ backs for the past two years. In fact, it turns out that about R10m is used each year “to pay for luxury flights for former ministers, deputies and their spouses, who are entitled to personally use a nearly unlimited number of business class flight tickets for the rest of their lives – all courtesy of long-suffering South African taxpayers.”
The high-flying officials included the likes of Trevor Manuel and Malusi Gigaba, who each pocketed R312 135 and R200 413 respectively over the past two financial years.
They are all on the gravy train – ANC MAFIA !!
— Kobus (@Kobus90114980) November 23, 2020
Understandably, this news and South Africa’s recent credit ratings downgrade by Moody’s and Fitch has BizNews community members feeling pretty angry and despondent.
“This latest downgrade is of course the fault of the whites/WMC/apartheid/Van Riebeeck and has nothing to do with the wonderful way the government is running the country,” says
A morose When the ANC steals the money South Africa had, that was tragic, but when it steals the money we don’t have and have loaned, like the money spent on procuring PPE for Covid-19, then it is not just a crime but a crime against humanity.”
Many community members wondered aloud if this is the reason South African Airways (SAA) is being kept afloat.
Reasons to keep a state airline afloat? Any other airline would want these tickets paid for ….. with real money ……
— Michael J. McKinon (@Mikgabedi) November 23, 2020
They are all wealthy enough to afford to pay for their own flights or if they deem it too pricey for their own pocket they mustn’t fly. It’s a disgrace.
— Gareth (@soundbytte) November 23, 2020
And the government wonders why there’s a taxpayer revolt happening…it’s because our money doesn’t go to educating and housing the poor, but cushioning ANC cadres’ retirement.
— David Sedgwick (@DavidSedgwick4) November 23, 2020
Shame!! They need the money
— tim spindler (@timspindler) November 24, 2020
Verduidelik asb vir my. Hoe de fok kan Trevor en Maria nie hulle eie kaartjies koop nie? Is dit pure fkn suinigheid of wat?
— PJ (@PieterDeBeer18) November 24, 2020
Minister of Finance Tito Mboweni used the opportunity to carry out some research on Twitter, asking, “What should we do about SAA? Do we need a national airline?”
The Twitterverse was all too happy to respond.
This is a question you should have asked on your first day in office .
— Oracle Of The North (@NRamabulana) November 22, 2020
Black Friday sale
— Koshiek Karan (@iamkoshiek) November 22, 2020
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣1 of the 2 must happen really but how can Tito ask such question on Twitter bathong🙆♀️🙆♀️🙆♀️🙆♀️
— Pumla Nompula (@Mma_Kamohelo) November 22, 2020
Sink a rotten-to-the-core ship. Plain and simple. People don’t have houses, apparently no money. But you can find money, again, for SAA???
Do you really need advice? You know what to do.
— Dom Gatiep (@SlimGatiep) November 22, 2020
Do what Elsa said: Let it go!!#SAA pic.twitter.com/GHe59xa77Z
— Tahir Hassan (@tahir1976) November 22, 2020
Just put it on gumtree pic.twitter.com/qVzc41QeQA
— Bongani (@Bongani_MKJ) November 22, 2020
This question is mute because you won’t listen anyway. Should have sold SAA a long time ago. But hang on what will Ministers, their spouses and former Ministers and their spouses ride for “free” at taxpayers expense?
— Employment Creation Addict (@AddictCreation) November 22, 2020
This country does not have the capacity for state run entities. Our leaders are too stupid, and just about every single one of them were born thieves. Shut them all down.”
Please name one SOE that is viable? Just one?
— Greg Kruger (@kruger_greg) November 24, 2020
You don’t think that perhaps you should have asked this question before you gave the R10,5bn?
— Carol Paton (@politicsblahbla) November 22, 2020
Yes we do need a national airline. This question goes without asking. You just need the right people to manage it
— #BlackLivesMatter✊🏾 (@Pseudonym_X92) November 22, 2020
Read also: Ratings downgrades are a vote against Ramaphosa – DA
Your question gets us hot under the collar because this is a question we answered numerous times over the last few years. You ignored us, made the decision to save SAA and once health, education and security have already coughed up to save SAA, you then ask us what we think.
— Etienne Shardlow 🏳️🌈🇿🇦 (@EttySh) November 23, 2020
Minister: approves R10bn to SAA
Also the Minister: do we really need SAA?Surely this should be enough to get hot under the collar, no?
— METAMODERNIST (@WrldsMstDngrous) November 23, 2020
Is it too late for the national airline to be sent to the scrapheap? Will Mboweni surprise us all and put his foot down?
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- Angry SAs speak: ‘We’re tired of your antics, Zuma. Face the music!’
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- Union strikes back at SABC’s retrenchment plans
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