South African Airways has placed acting Group Chief Executive Officer Matshela Seshibe on special leave with immediate effect, only four months after he took the job, and appointed Chief Legal Officer Koekie Mbeki as acting group CEO. The state-owned carrier did not disclose the trigger for the internal process behind the move, which the board framed as a governance step aimed at preserving continuity during a period of leadership change.
Seshibe had been appointed in April after the resignation of John Lamola, making the latest decision another abrupt shift at the top of the airline. Background reporting has linked the move to possible irregularities at Air Chefs, SAA’s catering subsidiary, where Seshibe previously led operations, although the carrier has not confirmed any such connection. The change adds to the management instability that has marked SAA’s turnaround and commercial reset, with the board moving quickly to keep decision-making in place while the internal process continues.