State Capture Inquiry: Sambo details Kwinana’s corrupt deals at SAA

SRS Aviation founder and director Sibongile Sambo is the latest guest to testify at the State Capture Inquiry. Wednesday’s proceedings kicked off with Sambo delving into her business dealings with South African Airways (SAA) in the age of the state capture project.

State Capture Inquiry: How is Sambo linked to SAA?

Prior to her appearance at the State Capture Inquiry, Sambo had informed Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo that she suffers from depression. The latter, she noted, may have an adverse effect on her ability to recall a sequence of events.

Sambo is the founder of the first 100% black-owned aviation company in South African history. SRS Aviation provides chartered air services (jet and helicopter rentals) to public and private businesses.

The aviation company also distributes new and used aircraft spare parts “for the commercial, commuter, corporate, military and cargo aerospace Industries.”

The link between Sambo and SAA came when she relentlessly pursued a tender deal with the technical wing of the national carrier, and this will form part of the majority of her testimony.

How Yakhe Kwinana may have benefitted from state capture

So far, we have heard testimony about how an international provider of aviation and expeditionary services, AAR Corp, may have shortchanged Sambo in a tender deal she tried she tried to close with South African Airways Technical (SAAT).

Sambo says she told her that she was not coming as she had not been invited, she adds that she told her that Ms Yakhe kwinana, Dr John Tambi, Adv Memela, and Mr Zwane would form part of the SAAT delegation.#statecaptureinquiry

— State Capture Commission (@StateCaptureCom) February 5, 2020

However, the more interesting part of the SRS director involves Yakhe Kwinana, the former chairperson of the SAA audit and risk committee.

Thus far, we know that Kwinana and Sambo established rapport in her attempts to close business with SAAT. Sambo alleged that prior to Kwinana’s resignation from SAAT’s board, she was invited to her residence where Kwinana explicitly stated that she wanted to get her hands on three different big contracts, namely: the components, tyres, and logistics contracts before she left.

Another encounter with Kwinana allegedly took place at the Protea Hotel in Midrand, Johannesburg, where she was introduced to a person named John Tambi, who was apparently from Sierra Leone.

Sambo further revealed that Kwinana had made it clear that her exit from the board was a precautionary measure to protect her business interests that were allegedly managed by Tambi.

At the time of publishing this article, Sambo was providing details about a ‘middleman’ that Kwinana had informed about, the person who was allegedly ‘taking care of her’.

Sambo says Ms Kwinana also informed her that she wanted to introduce her to someone who was taking care of her, she adds that she described the person in Zulu/Isixhosa as "Ihashi" ( in English meaning a donkey or a horse)#statecaptureinquiry

— State Capture Commission (@StateCaptureCom) February 5, 2020