SAA top exec in sex scandal with intern – report

A top South African Airways (SAA) executive, Saki Tlou, has been accused of having an inappropriate romantic relationship with an intern despite being married, City Press reports.

Tlou, the airline’s technical advisor to its group CEO, stands accused of dating intern Lerato Makaleng. He is believed to have lavished her with expensive hotel rooms and holidays, a source told the publication.

Tlou’s wife Edna allegedly bust her husband after discovering, when going through their finances, that Makaleng had been made a banking beneficiary and that several payments had been made to her.

He also came home with make-up on his shirt, another source alleged.

Edna is reportedly “crying herself to sleep” over the affair.

Makaleng would not confirm or deny the reports when approached.

It was also alleged that Makaleng had been promoted at SAA and was now permanently employed, something SAA spokesperson Tlali Tlali denied when approached for comment by City Press, saying she remained an intern.

The full story is available in today’s edition of City Press.

The alleged scandal comes as workers unions at the SAA are threatening to embark on “the mother of all strikes”.

They said on Friday the state-owned airline had requested one week to deal with their demands of reinstating Vuyani Jarana as group chief executive and a complete overhaul of the board.

This as the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) and the South African Cabin Crew Association (SACCA) on Thursday met the SAA board over the workers’ grievances following Jarana’s resignation two weeks ago.

In a statement, the unions said their key demand was that Jarana must be reinstated immediately for having produced a turnaround strategy which won the support of the government, the board, and the unions.

SAA’s cabin crew members are represented in SACCA while Numsa members work at SAA Technical and at the airports in South Africa.

They said that though the board had informed the public that it had government’s backing on the turnaround strategy, SAA board chairperson JB Magwaza allegedly told them that there was no funding for the turnaround strategy and no funding capital for the airline.

The unions are also demanding an explanation about members of the board’s alleged ties to the Rothschild family.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article stated that SAA spokesperson Tlali Tlali had denied that the affair took place. Tlali only denied the allegation that Makaleng had been promoted at SAA and was now permanently employed there. We regret the error. 15:07, June 17.

(Background reporting, ANA)

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