Cabinet approves Prof John Lamola's appointment as SAA CEO

Cabinet has officially appointed Professor John Lamola as the permanent Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of South African Airways (SAA).

The decision announced on Wednesday, comes despite ongoing allegations of political interference in the appointment process.

Lamola’s appointment marks a deviation from the recommendation of the SAA board, which had initially favoured Allan Kilavuka, the current CEO of Kenya Airways, as the ideal candidate.

However, Kilavuka’s non-South African citizenship ultimately worked against him in the selection process.

The announcement was made shortly before the post-Cabinet briefing on Thursday morning, when Transport Minister Barbara Creecy issued a statement formally congratulating Lamola on his appointment.

IOL has learned that Creecy pushed for Lamola’s candidacy after receiving the backing of the ANC’s deployment committee, despite the fact that Lamola had scored the lowest among the three final candidates.

Creecy, alongside Deputy President Paul Mashatile, had conducted interviews with both Lamola and Kilavuka months after the SAA board had already completed its interviews with the shortlisted candidates.

This sequence of events has fuelled concerns over the level of political influence exerted in the decision-making process, casting a shadow over the transparency of the selection.

The appointment of Lamola as the permanent CEO is expected to stir debate in both political and business circles, as questions about the integrity of the selection process and the role of political figures continue to dominate the conversation surrounding the future of South Africa's embattled national carrier.

In the Cabinet briefing, spokesperson Khumbudzo Ntshavheni confirmed the appointment and said this would be for two years.

kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za

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