The report of the portfolio committee on public enterprises, which recommended that the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), must probe the collapsed deal between South Africa Airways (SAA) and Takatso consortium was in the hands of the acting speaker and the programming committee.

Chairperson of the committee Khaya Magaxa said they have done what they had to do and now the report was in the hands of the two parties.

Magaxa would not say when the report would be referred to the House.

“The process of taking the report of the committee pertaining our investigation on the allegations against the minister is now in the hands of the speaker’s office and the programming committee of parliament.

“It’s no longer in our hands. It’s in their competency to decide as to when it’s going to be tabled in the House,” said Magaxa.

The committee had recommended that the SIU be brought in to probe the SAA-Takatso deal following allegations that the deal was not above board.

Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan has threatened to take the committee to court over its call for the SIU to probe the matter.

He denied any wrongdoing in the deal.

He said this was a smear campaign to tarnish his name and the department.

Gordhan said the investigation by the committee was a fait accompli.

He accused members of the committee of politicising the matter.

Cabinet agreed a few months ago to can the deal.

Members of the committee said they stand with Magaxa as he was chairing the committee and the decisions were not his but all members of the committee.

The public enterprises committee had been trying to get Gordhan to appear before it since last year after former Director-General in the department Kgathatso Tlhakudi alleged that Gordhan was implicated in wrongdoing.

Gordhan had refused to share details of the agreement between SAA and Takatso to Parliament citing confidentiality issues.

He said this would also expose SAA to its competitors.

IOL Politics