A tense standoff between Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan and the parliamentary committee that exercises oversight of his department ended yesterday with Gordhan handing over confidential documents on the SAA sale.
Gordhan had requested that his appearance at the Portfolio Committee be held in camera and that MPs sign non-disclosure agreements. The documents include those related to the shortlisting of Takatso as SAA's preferred strategic equity partner in June 2021, and the sale and purchase agreement.
The chairperson of the committee, Khaya Magaxa, refused the request that non-disclosure agreements be signed, which he said he had been advised would be illegal, given Parliament's oversight role. He assented to an in camera meeting with Gordhan and his officials, but only to determine if there were sufficient grounds to close the deliberations around the documents.