The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) on Tuesday reiterated its call for the partial privatisation of national carrier South African Airlines (SAA). 

The party's spokesperson on public enterprises, Inkosi Mzamo Buthelezi, said it was "high time" that selling parts of the operation to the private sector took place.  

The airline has been under voluntary business rescue since December. 

It announced on Tuesday that it was cancelling multiple flights as part of a "strategy to conserve cash".

Government has committed to a R2-billion bailout, but the money has yet to be transferred to the carrier. 

But Buthelezi said another bailout was not the solution, describing it as a waste of money "that we don't have". 

"The IFP has long held that public funds have been misused to solve non-financial problems such as mismanagement, corruption and poor planning.

"For far too long have the public footed the bill for the numerous crises faced at the ailing airline due to political overreach and interference. South Africans can no longer sustain this airline through their taxes." 

He said the party was "hopeful" that the outcomes of business rescue would include "the inevitable partial privatisation of SAA".