Takatso-SAA deal faces anti-competition fears

Gidon Novick’s resignation from the Takatso board does not clear the path of the conflicts of interests that could still hamstring the controversial SAA transaction. 

These conflicts are laid bare in concerns submitted to the Competition Commission by a competing airline in July. 

The consortium, the Mail & Guardian understands, filed the papers to the Competition Commission in May.  

According to the competitor, a merger involving Novick’s Global Aviation, Harith General Partners and SAA stands to crowd out any other airlines from the South African market. Any form of undertaking by the merged entity to guard against coordination and information sharing will be in vain unless Global Aviation divests from Lift, the competitor submitted to the commission.

This is contained in correspondence the M&G has seen.