Former finance minister Trevor Manuel has called on current Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba to be more courageous and responsible amid allegations of state capture and corruption at senior government level.
"Go out there and prove your detractors wrong. Show commitment and show courageTrevor Manuel, former finance minister
Manuel was speaking to Karima Brown on Talk Radio 702 on Monday night about corporate responsibility in the era of state capture.
"Go out there and prove your detractors wrong. Show commitment and show courage, because... courage is what the country needs [to give it] hope in building our future."
On Friday, Gigaba announced a lifeline of R3-billion to SAA.
Manuel also spoke on the corruption crisis at KPMG and firmly believes that those involved in the KPMG controversy should be jailed to encourage a culture of accountability.
"People should go to jail because of how they have been covered and how this rot was allowed to continue in the way that it has.
"People should go to jail because of... how this rot was allowed to continue in the way that it has. The consequences are a break on growth in this country. If the economy is not growing, people can't get jobs."
Manuel said that KPMG was not the only firm involved in corruption.
"When KPMG withdrew from the Guptas, their accounts were taken over by SizweNtsalubaGobodo... we are in a position where we can't dispense with external auditors because they have to provide that assurance."
The longest-serving minister of finance said it was important that South Africans support the new KPMG CEO, Nhlamu Dlomu.
"We have a responsibility to make sure she [Dlomu] succeeds. Nhlamu must get all the support she needs at KPMG."
Manuel said that the capacity of the SA Revenue Service (Sars) had been destroyed.
Sars boss Tom Moyane this week threatened KPMG with court action since he previously used its report to flush out a full band of executives from the revenue authority.