NATIONAL NEWS - It has been three weeks and Mango’s 749 staff have not received their salaries
This despite staff and unions reaching out to the department of public enterprises, being stood up at a meeting by director-general Kgathatso Tlhakudi and later not receiving any semblance of response on a second attempt to meet with him or Minister Pravin Gordhan.
The airline’s executive is still unable to answer questions, SAA is mum and there is still no word from Mango’s ultimate shareholder – the government.
Last week staff pleaded with President Cyril Ramaphosa for intervention, but beyond acknowledgement of the letter, nothing has happened.
The letter, sent to the President, reads: “Mr. President, we write to you in an urgent and final attempt for intervention in the crises at South African Airways subsidiary, Mango Airlines. Whilst we write primarily regarding Mango Airlines, many similar issues will be true for the other SAA subsidiaries. We have exhausted all other avenues of communication with relevant post holders at Mango Airlines, boards of Mango Airlines and SAA and the Department of Public Enterprises. We have hit a dead end on all attempts and have been sent on many a wild goose chase.”
“The staff have no means to buy food or fend for themselves,” says chair of the Mango Pilots Association captain Jordan Butler.
“We keep getting promised by everyone that the money is coming, and every day there is another excuse why it hasn’t.”
He questions how the DPE can expect Mango staff to continue carrying the business.
“It is disingenuous and tantamount to fraud to expect people to keep coming to work.”
