Where will the SAA bailout cash come from? Ramaphosa to be asked

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Wednesday be asked exactly where the money for a proposed multi-billion rand bailout for embattled national airline SAA will come from.

SAA is in need of R10-billion‚ Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba said last month. While he said that lenders were being spoken to over the money‚ a final plan has not yet been presented over where the money will come from.

But on Wednesday Ramaphosa will report to members of the National Council of Provinces and that answer might need to be forthcoming.

DA MP Cathleen Labuschagne is set to ask Ramaphosa whether Gigaba will use emergency funding from the National Revenue Fund to meet the loan requirements and‚ if not‚ to explain where the money will come from.

This is not the only question relating to parastatals that Ramaphosa will have to field. Delisile Ngwenya of the EFF wants Ramaphosa to "guarantee" that state-owned enterprises will not be sold - and also for him to promise that they will be capacitated with "qualified and ethical boards and competent staff".

Ramaphosa will also be asked how he plans to deal with corruption at the South African National Aids Council‚ and also about how lower wages - which are blamed for continued inequality and strike action - are being dealt with.

The question-and-answer session is scheduled to start at 2pm.