Moves by Transport Minister Dipuo Peters to fire four board members of Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) have raised fears that she is doing so to protect Acsa chief executive Bongani Maseko, according to a report in Business Day.
According to the paper, the auditor-general has previously noted that Acsa had not done enough to prevent irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure. A number of other employees have been disciplined because of the auditor-general's findings, the paper said.
Some of these, who had reportedly gone to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) had said it was problematic that Maseko was not disciplined for this, showing inconsistencies in how Acsa had handled the matter.
Business Day reported that some of the board members who received notices of intent to dismiss on Friday were due to meet with Peters to discuss a board resolution, reportedly not yet ratified, to suspend Maseko.
According to the paper, there are fears that Maseko's continued presence at the parastatal could be problematic, as an internal forensic investigation is ongoing, and there are fears that this may prevent witnesses from coming forward.
The paper was unable to get comment from the four board members who received notices on Friday.
Spokesman for the department of transport, Ishmael Mnisi told Business Day: "It is so unfortunate that the issue you are raising relating to the CEO does not even form the subject matter of the agenda (of the shareholder meeting). It may be of interest that, in this meeting, the minister will consider the board evaluation performance report commissioned by the board itself."
Acsa told the paper that it was unaware of any board meeting where Maseko's suspension was discussed.