‘Use Google’ ex-SAA board member Yakhe Kwinana tells lawyer at Zondo commission
Air France was ultimately rejected for tender due to its lack of commitment to BEE, despite being management’s preferred bidder, former South African Airways (SAA) board member and chair of SAA Technical Yakhe Kwinana told the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture on Saturday.
Kwinana is on the stand to complete her testimony regarding dodgy contracts secured by JM Aviation owned by Vuyo Ndzeku with whom Kwinana had been communicating with.
It’s alleged Kwinana received millions of rand in kickbacks in exchange for facilitating lucrative contracts from SAA to JM Aviation.
Questioned on why Air France – which had been the supplier that management recommended to the board – had not been awarded the tender, Kwinana said Air France’s BEE compliance and supplier development commitments were “not satisfactory.”
Google it…
When challenged on the distinction between BEE compliance and supplier development, Kwinana focused on the latter.
When evidence leader Kate Hofmeyr pressed Kwinana on what she understood by supplier development.
After a pause, Kwinana suggested that perhaps Hofmeyr should “use Google.”
Earlier in the week, Hofmeyr had probed Kwinana on why she had been communicating with the bidders that were ultimately awarded the R1.2-billion contract with SAA Technical to supply aircraft components in 2016.
‘A bit striking‘
After Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo assured that it was her “own understanding” of the matter that was most relevant, Kwinana stated that a supplier should be able to develop another upcoming supplier.
She did not elaborate in detail on the differences in commitment to supplier development between the key bidders, but said Air France “had resistance” to the idea.
Hofmeyr put it to her that the process for this particular tender, as she understood it, specified that suppliers must give their commitments to supplier development and submit their proposals.
However, Air France’s competitors, American company AAR Corporation and its local partner JM Aviation, only submitted theirs after the awarding of the tender.
“I, in fairness, found that a bit striking,” said Hofmeyr.
Hofmeyr further argued that even if it were the case, as previously stated by SAAT’s former head of procurement Nontasa Memela, that the suppliers only needed to give their commitments to supplier development at the bidding stage, Air France was in the same position as its competitors.
Kwinana appeared hesitant to answer.
“I am not sure as I am sitting here whether Air France had committed to supplier development.”
Asked about certain statements she was meant to present to the inquiry, the former SAA board member said she didn’t have the documents.
But a clearly exasperated Hofmeyr was running out of patience.
“The problem is on Tuesday your version was that you don’t have the January 2020 statements as they were taken by the server. So Ms Kwinana, we are going to argue in due course that you are a dishonest witness. You are a witness who turns the fact each time that they become difficult for you.”
The inquiry continues.
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