FORMER SAA chief executive Coleman Andrews has come out swinging, accusing Minister of Public Enterprises Jeff Radebe of inaccuracy in his pronouncements on his salary package and tenure at the airline.
“…Reading through the news release of June 13 2001 by the minister of public enterprises on the controversy surrounding SAA, I was struck by the extent to which much of the statement differs from what actually happened. I wonder if the minister simply hasn’t been given a full and accurate set of facts,” Andrews wrote in his rebuttal published in Business Day on Tuesday.
Andrews was paid R232-million during the two-and-a-half years as head of the national airline – a figure he said ?would not even make it onto the radar screen of the top 100 US public company CEOs in terms of maximum payout potential?.
Andrews also said there had been significant political interference at the airline, starting when Jeff Radebe took over as public enterprises minister from Stella Sigcau. He said he had wanted to brief Radebe on the airline?s plans, but a meeting ?just never was able to be scheduled?.
Andrews said junior bureaucrats at the department or Transnet managers had suddenly began calling at SAA; ?to demand this, require that, second guess something else, threatening at every turn,? the newspaper said.
Andrews also refuted claims that consultants were paid performance related fees without performance measures saying: “Elaborate performance measures were put in place and rigorously used to determine success-based fees. These measures were scrutinised by SAA’s then chief financial officer before he authorised payments.”
Andrews said his performance had been appraised at various points and in June 1999 he was given a written appraisal of five on a scale of one to five. In June 2000, 4,78 on the same scale. In February 2001, 4,82. He also said Macozoma had told him: “You handle performance, and I’ll handle politics.”
He said there were investigations to see if he was involved with Nigerian drug cartels, or whether then chief financial officer (now CEO) Andre Viljoen had been defrauding Transnet via a catering scheme.
“But in March 2000 this collection of madness reached an unacceptable level. So I quit.”
Transnet have indicated they are urgently seeking a meeting with Minister Jeff Radebe to ?clarify and resolve all the issues?.
Andrews raised concerns over the future of SAA in Business Day, saying it was hard to believe that foreign investors would be keen on an SAA offering until the damage caused by the controversy had subsided.
The public enterprises department yesterday declined Business Day?s invitation to respond.
ZA *NOW:
Who will take the fall for Coleman’s cash? June 18, 2001
Government ‘didn?t approve’ SAA chief?s $28m pay packet June 14, 2001
SAA chief steps down early February 25, 2001
SAA in desperate need of vision – CEO August 24, 1998
New SAA chief’s right-wing background July 1, 1998
SAA’s top job goes to American July 1, 1998