Hon Chairperson, I want to start by saying to the hon Minister that he said that certain steps are being taken to enhance the confidence of the public to use, for instance, SAA, and SA Express Airways.
Now, hon Minister, you have a responsibility towards the public of South Africa. Let us look at what happened with Velvet Sky. The public had trust in the financial situation of Velvet Sky, but they lost thousands of rands. You, as the Minister, have the responsibility to ensure that the finances of SAA and SA Express are viable and healthy.
I cannot understand SAA coming forward and asking for a R6 billion bailout, as said by other hon members, when, in sponsorships, they pay almost R300 million! [Interjections.] If a business is in trouble, how can that business still pay R300 million in sponsorships?
Dit ges, agb Minister, ek wil kom by SA Express. By die vergadering van die Portefeuljekomitee oor Openbare Ondernemings op 14 Februarie vanjaar het die hoofuitvoerende beampte van SA Express ges dat hulle Sizwe Ntsaluba aangestel het om 'n forensiese ondersoek te doen, na sekere aantuigings wat gemaak is deur die Ouditeur-generaal. Daar is ook ges dat hierdie forensiese verslag aan die raad van SA Express voorgel gaan word.
Ek wil nou vir die agb Minister vra: In daardie forensiese verslag, is daar enige bestuurslede wat betrokke is? Is daar enige dissiplinre stappe geneem teen die persone wat oortree het in terme van ongerymdhede wat daar plaasgevind het? En watter dissiplinre stappe is geneem?
Ek wil ook vir u vra: As daardie dissiplinre stappe geneem is, wat is die status daarvan? Daar is ook destyds ges dat deel van hierdie ondersoek gaan oor 'n R42 miljoen se BTW-inskrywing wat gemaak is. Dit is bedrog, agb Minister! Wie het daardie inskrywing gemaak, en is daar opgetree teen daardie persoon?
U het 'n verantwoordelikheid om te verseker dat die publiek daardie antwoorde kry. As die publiek nie daardie antwoorde kry nie, kan hulle nie vertroue om met SA Express te kan vlieg h nie. Andersins, gebeur met hulle wat met ander mense gebeur het met Velvet Sky, wat 'n "fly-by-night" geword het: Hulle betaal vir kaartjies met SA Express, maar dan gaan hulle geld in 'n bodemlose put. Daarom vra ek vir die agb Minister om vir die publiek die antwoord te gee. Moet nie s daar is 'n verslag, maar niemand weet wat in daardie verslag staan nie. Ek dank u. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[That having being said, hon Minister, I want to turn my attention to SA Express. At the meeting of the Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises held on 14 February of this year, the chief executive officer of SA Express said that they had appointed Sizwe Ntsaluba to perform a forensic investigation into certain allegations that had been made by the Auditor- General. It was also said that the resultant forensic report would be submitted to the board of SA Express.
I should now like to ask the hon Minister: Are any members of management implicated in the forensic report? Has any disciplinary action been taken against those persons who had transgressed in terms of the irregularities that had taken place there? What disciplinary action was taken?
I also want to ask you the following: If disciplinary action has been taken, what is the position in this regard? It was also said that this investigation dealt with a R42 million VAT entry that had been made. That is fraud, hon Minister! Who made that entry, and has action been instituted against that person?
You have a responsibility to ensure that the public gets those answers. If members of the public do not get those answers, they cannot confidently fly with SA Express. Otherwise, the same thing will happen to them that happened to other people in connection with Velvet Sky, which became a fly- by-night operation: They pay for tickets with SA Express and then their money goes down a bottomless pit. That is why I am asking the hon Minister to give the public the answer. Do not say that there is a report but nobody knows what is written in the report. I thank you.]