ICYMI: 

Zondo Inquiry: How tensions over Mumbai-Joburg route pushed SAA into agreement 

Former South African Airways (SAA) CEO, Sizakele Mzimela, told the state capture commission of inquiry on Wednesday of the tension caused by the proposal to terminate the Mumbai-Johannesburg route, specifically between SAA, former Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba and Gupta-linked company Jet Airways. 

Back and forth meetings between the two companies eventually culminated into a code-sharing agreement where both parties benefited. The agreement, however, was not struck before SAA got an opinion from the Competitions Commission, she said. 

Mzimela told the commission that after an initial meeting was held at the Department of Public Enterprises with Gigaba as well as Jet Airways CEO, Naresh Goyal, a second meeting was held at SAA. 

The meeting, Mzimela said, was called abruptly by Gigaba and Mzimela made her way to Cape Town without knowledge of what was to be discussed. Once she got there, Gigaba told the gathering that he had a few issues to discuss but first wanted an update on the Mumbai-Johannesburg route.