In the opinion pages today, Hilary Joffe examines how Comair used the business rescue process and how smarter business decisions may have saved the airline, Tony Leon looks at the similarities between Watergate and ‘Farmgate’, and Justice Malala wants to know whether Cyril Ramaphosa is being blackmailed?
High-flying business rescue plan sank Comair – Business Day
Is Comair the maker of its own demise? The embattled airline heads to court this week to begin the liquidation process after the business rescue practitioners failed to secure the additional funding needed to keep the airline afloat.
Hilary Joffe argues the airline did not use the business rescue process in a way that would have benefited the airline and came in with an aggressive growth strategy. Comair could have consolidated the business, reduced operations and come up with a far more innovative growth strategy to keep it in the skies. Read more here. (for subscribers)
The scandal surrounding Cyril has opened yet another gate – Sunday Times Daily
Former parliamentary opposition leader Tony Leon explores the usage of the suffix ‘gate’, which is universally applied to any political scandal. Leon details how the suffix came into being following the Watergate scandal in the United States, which ultimately forced US president Richard Nixon out of office in 1974. Nixon remains the only American president to leave office before his term was finished.
Leon paints parallels to Nixon and the current ‘Farmgate’ scandal encompassing Cyril Ramaphosa’s presidency. Many of the moves Nixon made to distance himself from any sort of criminal misconduct are similar to the public words Ramaphosa has offered thus far over his involvement in the scandal. Read more here. (for subscribers)
Is Ramaphosa being blackmailed in broad daylight? – Financial Mail
Political commentator Justice Malala believes Ramaphosa is being blackmailed in broad daylight and points toward a press conference held by EFF leader Julius Malema last week. Malema demanded that the president step down over the farm heist and threatened that more would be unveiled if the president did not do so.
Malala cites another instance where politics has been marred by cheap tricks from blackmailers including when Arthur Fraser sent a secret file to justice minister Ronald Lamola after Lamola asked Fraser why he should not be fired as correctional services commissioner. Read more here. (for subscribers)
Here’s a round-up of what else we’re reading today:
Fly in Dubai eyes Gupta brothers – Cliff Buchler, The Citizen (for subscribers)
Songezo Zibi says he will run for president as he tables a manifesto for a new society; more will follow – Ferial Haffajee, Daily Maverick
The corrupt are punch-drunk but a small town punched back – Caiphus Kgosana, Sunday Times Daily (for subscribers)
We are not winning the war against crime – Tamara Mathebula, Thubelihle Zitha, Lindelwe Motha, Thabani Mdlongwa and Mpelo Malebye, News24
With enemies like these, who needs a defence? – Editorial, Financial Mail
Image Credit: A Comair-operated British Airways Boeing 737, Wikimedia Commons
