SAA acting CEO placed on special leave after four months as probe begins

South African Airways (SAA) has placed its acting group chief executive, Matshela Seshibe, on special leave four months after his controversial appointment, while an internal process linked to his previous role at Air Chefs is under way.

Board cites internal process; legal chief named acting CEO

According to The Citizen, the SAA board said Seshibe had been asked to take special leave while an internal process relating to matters arising from his tenure as CEO of Air Chefs was being conducted. The board has appointed chief legal officer Koekie Mbeki as acting group CEO to ensure leadership continuity.

Seshibe says allegations not formally put

The Citizen reported that Seshibe told media he was aware of the internal process and that he had been asked to take special leave, but that the precise allegations had not yet been formally put to him and it would be inappropriate to speculate.

Industry reaction and internal scepticism

The Citizen quoted an SAA pilot as saying,

“We knew this guy would fu*k up within six months. That was our prediction. He lasted less than that.”

The publication also cited a senior SAA executive who suggested the leaking of a Listeria report was intended to put Seshibe in the board’s crosshairs, saying,

“The answer simply lies in looking at who has survived a multitude of CEOs, scandals and crises, and you’ll come close to understanding the internal dynamic.”

An industry insider told The Citizen that SAA and other state-run aviation entities had declined under Transport Minister Barbara Creecy, saying,

“Look at the shenanigans at air traffic control [Air Traffic & Navigation Services] and Acsa [Airports Company South Africa]. And, of course, the airline. There’s no point in publicly ordering investigations when there’s no spine present to take real action.”

Analyst concerned about rapid turnover

Aviation analyst Guy Leitch told The Citizen that placing Seshibe on special leave was concerning given the airline’s history of leadership instability. He asked,

“The first question is why,”

and warned that

“to have one who doesn’t last four months is very worrying for the airline.”

Context of recent controversies at SAA

The Citizen outlined a series of recent controversies and operational incidents at SAA, including questions over the 2025 annual report, allegations involving former head of marketing Carla da Silva, a R1 billion share capital transaction and a substantial banking credit facility, and internal changes in asset valuations. The publication also listed operational incidents such as a missed-approach earlier this year, a contaminated fuel incident involving a flight from Accra in 2022, an “alpha floor” event on a vaccine flight over Kempton Park, and a towbar failure that led to an aircraft rolling back at OR Tambo in November 2022.

Appointment scrutiny

The Citizen noted that when the board defended Seshibe’s appointment four months ago it had faced sharp criticism from the industry, including questions about his previous connection to the Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation and whether that played a role in his selection.

The developments at SAA come as the airline’s board seeks to present leadership continuity while the internal process is finalised.