SAA is an example of futility
South African Airways is a perfect example of how socialism and politicism is failing South Africa.
Politicism means a political utterance and the theory that political factors dominate over others.
SAA was a joke of an unsustainable business with a governance board, a management edifice and a huge staff that gave mediocre service and feasted while the suffering taxpayer’s paid for everything.
At the end of every month everybody including the union members that are now on strike at SAA received a salary on time even though the service was mediocre and few cared about sustainability.
SAA has “captured” R100 billion over the past 20 years and will “capture” another R100 billion in 10 years if taxpayers allow the abuse. SAA has already gone through 16 failed turn-around strategies.
Oddly the average township South African have about a 1% change of flying on an SAA flight.
Sheltered employ is an historic project begun when colonialists build a civil service to create jobs for expatriates from Britain. During Apartheid the Afrikaner National Party expanded the civil service to employ Afrikaners escaping rural poverty. At the start of democracy, the ANC used the civil service and State owned Enterprises (SOE’s) to provide opportunity for comrades, friends and family.
Our civil service and SOE’s are bloated from left-over Apartheid staff and newbie staff of every admin that enters after an election. It is tough for regular person to get a job without a connection.
Example, whenever a Mayor is elected, they appoint their own staff. The staff of the ex-Mayor are often quartered elsewhere in the admin, so the bloating continues at taxpayers’ expense.
Accommodating political loyalists at taxpayers’ expense must be stopped. Loyalists from a previous admin are also a threat to a new admin that may find the embedded “deep state” hostile.
Our civil service and SOE’s needs skilled officials that are loyal to service delivery and sustainability and not too vague politicisms that has proven its wasteful failure over a 200-year period.
Cllr Yagyah Adams
Cape Muslim Congress