The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) on Friday welcomed Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba’s announcement that South African Airways (SAA) chairperson Dudu Myeni would not serve another term on the board. 

Her term expires on August 31 and a new board chairperson will be appointed at the SAA annual general meeting in August.

Myeni was appointed to the SAA board in October 2009 and has chaired it since 2012.

Outa’s COO Ben Theron said the airline had stumbled from crisis to crisis under Myeni’s leadership and had forced the National Treasury to bail out the embattled airline with either direct investments or guarantees.

“She is not fit to hold any public office whatsoever. The sooner she leaves the better,” stated Theron.

He went on to say that the position of CEO must be filled with “a competent and knowledgeable candidate” who could turn the organisation around. 

Theron pointed out that SAA continuously posted losses during Myeni’s tenure and added that the airline was repeatedly bailed out by taxpayers.

In December 2014, the airline’s administration had to be transferred from the Ministry of Public Enterprises to the Ministry of Finance to stabilise its finances.

In June Outa and the SAA Pilots’ Association launched legal proceedings against Myeni, asking the Pretoria High Court to declare her a delinquent director, which would bar her from serving as a director, a senior executive or on any boards for at least seven years.

In November last year the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission issued a compliance notice against Myeni for breaching the duties of a director. She was ordered to formally notify the SAA board and Minister of Finance.