South African Corruption Probe Expanded to Include SAA Technical
South African Airways (SAA) has announced that the proclamation signed by President Cyril Ramaphosa and published in December does not initiate a new corruption investigation into the airline, but rather expands the scope of the existing Special Investigating Unit (SIU) probe to formally include its maintenance division, South African Airways Technical (SAAT). The technical unit, which was previously excluded from the inquiry, has been officially integrated into the process under the new regulation.
In a statement issued by the airline, it was noted that Proclamation No. 303 of 2025, published on December 19, merely serves as an amendment to the SIU investigation originally authorized in 2020.
Background and Findings of the Investigation
In November 2023, the SIU presented preliminary findings to Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA), reporting widespread procurement irregularities, corruption, and maladministration dating back to 2015. The anti-corruption organization OUTA stated that the interim report revealed “horrifying details of state capture and grand corruption” within the airline, noting that these looting activities were the primary reason for the carrier entering voluntary business rescue in 2019. SAA resumed operations as a significantly smaller airline in April 2021 following a state bailout of 10.5 billion rand.
Under the new regulation, the SAAT unit has been brought directly under the scope of the investigation, allowing existing mandates to continue without restarting previously completed work. The review period has been extended from January 1, 2002, to December 19, 2025. SAA management explained that this amendment was made after a review of the original proclamation and discussions with the SIU revealed that certain matters related to SAAT fell outside the initial scope.
