AS SOUTH African Airways (SAA) is down to the last R99m it can borrow against government’s guarantee‚ it should be "placed under business rescue"‚ the DA said on Thursday.The party made this claim in the wake of a court this week ordering SAA to pay R104m plus interest to Nationwide Airlines for anticompetitive conduct‚ and reports that the cash-strapped airline might face a further court bill from a similar claim by Kulula’s owner‚ Comair.DA finance MP Alf Lees described the ruling as "just another nail in the beleaguered airline’s financial coffin"."The judgment has set precedent‚ which should be of concern to the National Treasury and Minister of Finance‚ Pravin Gordhan‚ as Comair is seeking damages in excess of R1bn in litigation, based on similar circumstances‚" said Lees."This is certain to plunge SAA into further financial disarray‚ necessitating the need for the airline to be placed under business rescue."Lees put the total of the Nationwide award at R140m – "once interest c...

Subscribe now to unlock this article.

Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).

There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.

Cancel anytime.

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.