Overview
- The SAA board placed acting group CEO Matshela Seshibe on special leave on Friday while it carries out an internal process that the company links to his time as CEO of Air Chefs.
- Chief legal officer Koekie Mbeki was named acting group CEO immediately to keep day‑to‑day leadership and operations running at the state‑owned carrier.
- Multiple news reports cite anonymous whistle‑blower claims about procurement at Air Chefs and a separate listeriosis report at a catering facility, but those allegations have not been independently verified.
- The action comes after the Auditor‑General issued a disclaimed opinion for SAA’s 2024/25 accounts that flagged incomplete records, withheld information, and a culture that allowed employees to act without consequence.
- Commentators and staff see the suspension as part of a wider governance crisis in South Africa’s aviation sector, and the Transport Minister says she is monitoring the board’s process for evidence that it protects operations and accountability.