The last hurdles are being cleared for the sale of 51% of South African Airways to Takatso – if it can come up with the money. A major blockage to the sale, brokered way back in June 2021, that the government covers all historic liabilities has been overcome, SAA interim chair Derek Hanekom told MPs on Tuesday. The Treasury provided SAA with R1-billion in this year’s budget. Hanekom said that the remaining request to the Treasury – R1.5-billion to refund unflown tickets – had been covered by SAA itself through a combination of earnings and negotiations with creditors. "It would have been nice to receive the money from the Treasury, but we did not and now assume that we will not get anything from Treasury. We will still end this year cash-positive. We have covered the Receivership, and this a sign of a turnaround," Hanekom said. The SAA board, its executive management, government officials, and the Auditor-General’s office were part of Tuesday’s briefing of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts. Asked by MPs whether the transaction would now finally happen and if Takatso had secured the funding, Hanekom replied: "I’m not in a position to answer that. The board did not have anything to do with the decision for a strategic equity partner."