South African Airways (SAA) said the Democratic Alliance\u2019s (DA) \u201cinsinuation\u201d of political interference over its New Age spend is \u201cdeeply concerning\u201d.<\/p>\n
SAA spokesperson Tlali Tlali told Fin24 on Monday that the SAA has about 20 daily, weekly and weekend titles for distribution and use by our customers in the lounges and on board its aircraft.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe New Age title is one of various publications on offer to our customers,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
On Monday, Fin24 reported that SAA had spent R9.4m on purchasing about six million copies of the New Age newspaper, which is owned by the Gupta family.<\/p>\n
Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene replied to a parliamentary question posed by the DA that since March 2011, SAA purchased 5 927 000 copies of The New Age that were supplied to domestic on-board flights, lounges and airports.<\/p>\n
The newspaper was in circulation for just three months before SAA started buying the New Age and its circulation figures are not audited by the Audit Bureau of Circulations.<\/p>\n
\u201cNoting that the DA intends writing to the Minister of Public Enterprises (Lynne Brown) to institute an investigation, SAA will yield to this mooted investigation before commenting fully on this matter,\u201d said Tlali.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe insinuation that there was political interference without any proof is deeply concerning.\u201d<\/p>\n
Natasha Mazzone, DA shadow minister of Public Enterprises, wants Brown to investigate whether President Jacob Zuma had any influence on the agreement between SAA and the New Age, whether such spending is financially viable given the current state of SAA, and why the New Age was chosen ahead of any other national newspaper.<\/p>\n
This comes as SAA\u2019s annual general meeting was postponed from the first week of October, because it had not yet finalised their 2014\/15 annual financial statements, according to the Treasury, which now oversees the state-owned entity.<\/p>\n
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