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D-day has now arrived for Dudu Myeni to vacate the SAA Board Chair position.

Despite the evidence of her incompetence and the dire straits that the airline has been managed into under her watch, National Treasury has reportedly asked Myeni to remain as SAA Board Chair until the Annual General Meeting (AGM) probably sometime in November 2017.

The DA have therefore written to Finance Minister, Malusi Gigaba, to demand that he dismiss Myeni with immediate effect.

This extension of Myeni’s office term contradicts reassurances Gigaba gave that Myeni would not remain as the SAA Board Chair.

Former Finance Minister, Pravin Gordhan, unfortunately reappointed Myeni as the SAA Board Chair, on the proviso that her appointment was only for one year.

A statement by the Department of Government Communications on the 2nd of September last year stated that “Eleven new non-executive directors have been appointed to the Board of SAA for a three year period starting from 1 September 2016. Ms Duduzile Cynthia Myeni, the current Chairperson of the Board of SAA, has been reappointed for a period of one year.”

Since his appointment, Gigaba has indicated that Myeni’s term as SAA Board Chair would come to an end:

On the 15th of June 2017, Gigaba stated ‘At the upcoming AGM, we will attend to the matter of appointing her successor…’ and on the 4th of August 2017, Gigaba said that ‘We’ll start a process to replace the chairperson and a decision will be communicated later.’

Given the financial crisis at SAA, Gigaba should have foreseen that the AGM would be delayed. An SAA AGM is only likely to be called after the annual report has been finalised which is unlikely to happen until the Directors can convince the auditors that the airline is a going concern.

Despite the objections by her close friend, President Zuma, SAA is a financial disaster largely because of the disastrous tenure of Myeni as a Director and the Board Chair.

Gigaba must for once honour a commitment made by the ANC to South Africans and fire Myeni with immediate effect. There will be no improvement at SAA until Myeni is removed.

Issued by DA