Former SAAT senior exec says she may have ‘ruffled a lot of feathers’ when pushing transformation
CITIZEN.CO.ZA - STATE CAPTURE / 07 FEBRUARY 20202 - 02.27 / MAKHOSANDILE ZULU
Nontsasa Memela says there is a view in SA that once a black official interacts with a black supplier, automatically there’s fraud or corruption involved.
The former head of procurement at South African Airways Technical (SAAT), Nontsasa Memela has said that she may have “ruffled a lot of feathers” when she pushed the transformation agenda at the entity, which was largely untransformed when she assumed her role.
Former HOD procurement at SAAT, Nontsasa Memela.
She also took issue with the perception that when a black official interacts with a black businessperson, fraud or corruption is involved.
Memela raised the issue on Friday while giving testimony at the commission of inquiry into state capture on how she first met the director of JM Aviation, Vuyo Ndzeku.
JM Aviation and American-based AAR Corporation were in 2016 awarded a SAAT tender to supply components for five.
Memela told the chairperson of the commission, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, that she first met Ndzeku at a workshop in 2015. She said the purpose of the workshop, which was one of many, was to inform black-owned suppliers about the numerous opportunities within the aviation industry.
She said during these workshops she chatted to a number of black businesspersons and these conversations went beyond such gatherings.
One of these suppliers is founding director of SRS Aviation, Sibongile Rejoice Sambo, Memela said.
Giving her testimony at the commission earlier this week, Sambo accused Memela of assisting JM Aviation with its bid documents so that it would score the R1.2 billion contract it was awarded in 2016 along with AAR Corporation.
In her responding statement, Memela denied this allegation.
-----
Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER