Overview
- The SAA board placed acting group CEO Matshela Seshibe on special leave and appointed chief legal officer Koekie Mbeki as acting group CEO to maintain continuity.
- The board announced the move following an internal process linked to Seshibe’s tenure at Air Chefs, and the airline has not publicly set out formal allegations against him.
- Seshibe has told reporters he was asked to take special leave and that precise allegations have not yet been presented to him.
- Industry figures and unnamed SAA staff have framed the sidelining as part of a deeper governance crisis, with some alleging a leaked listeria report from an Air Chefs facility was used to undermine him and pilots predicting his rapid failure.
- The episode follows months of instability at SAA, including frequent executive turnover, safety incidents, a disclaimed audit opinion and a recent government capital injection, which together raise questions about oversight and the airline’s ability to stabilise operations.