The Department of Public Enterprises has downplayed the suggestion that Minister Lynne Brown will dismiss executive management or board members at SAA.
Speaking to Tourism Update, Mayihlome Tshwete, Spokesman for the Department of Public Enterprises, described the report, published by Business Day as “dramatic”.
According to the report, Brown was likely to announce personnel changes following a board meeting which takes place on Thursday. She did not disclose if these would be at executive management or board level. Her announcement would follow two investigations she recently commissioned into the carrier’s inefficiencies.
The SAA board has been dogged by reports of tension. In May, a leaked report suggested that Chairperson, Dudu Myeni, had asked the auditor-general to investigate SAA CEO, Monwabisi Kalawe. Two months earlier, Lindi Nkosi-Thomas resigned from her position as Director of the SAA board, citing a breakdown in the professional relationship with “certain members” of the board.
The Business Day article reported that Kalawe did not believe his own position was threatened.
Brown is quoted as favouring the formation of one holding company to oversee three airlines – SAA, SA Express and Mango. Tshwete said this was acknowledged as part of the airline’s long-term strategy.