Public Enterprises to announce new CEO, interim board for SAA Technical

South African Airways (SAA) Technical says it should soon appoint a new CEO, after Adam Voss resigned. His resignation follows the recent exit of SAA chairperson Thandeka Mgoduso.

In an earlier statement, the Department of Public Enterprises announced that a new interim board as well as a new executive team will be announced as part of an effort to create a restructure SAA.

Last week, Finance Minister Tito Mboweni granted the state-owned airline’s business rescue practitioners R10.5 billion to resume the restructuring process. The allocation is in addition to the R16.4 billion allocated in the February budget.

The department pointed out that the R10.5-billion allocation will go toward retrenchment settlements, initial working capital and unflown tickets among others.

Unions welcome Voss’s resignation 

Some trade unions have welcomed the resignation of South African Airways (SAA) Technical CEO Adam Voss.

SAA confirmed Voss’ resignation, without citing reasons for his departure. Voss was appointed to the position last year but has not been in the country since the start of lockdown.

The National Transport Movement (NMT) says Voss’s resignation paves the way for transformation at SAA Technical.

NMT president Mashudu Raphetha says: “We believe that SAA Technical must be able to get a black young preferably female to carry it forward. We believe there’s someone within the borders who can do that.”

SAA Technical under scrutiny at State Capture Inquiry  

On Monday, former SAA Technical chairperson Yakhe Kwinana took the stand at the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture.

Kwinana said that cancelling the German-based LSG Sky Chefs contract with the airline in 2015 was the best decision she ever made for the national carrier. She told Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo that she was flabbergasted that the commission was asking questions about the contract.

She said in 2015 SAA subsidiary Air Chefs was going to retrench people, hence they took a decision against working with LSG Sky Chefs.

Zondo became increasingly frustrated with the testimony and apparent ignorance of Kwinana as she continued testifying at the commission.

On approving the SAA ground handling contract in 2016, Kwinana said she only approved the terms and conditions but not the contract as a whole.

Zondo expressed disbelief at Kwinana’s assertion that the SAA board did not oversee many contracts entered into by management:

[embedded content]

-Additional reporting by Amina Accram