SOUTH AFRICAN EXPRESS
Sudden departure of South African Express' Inati Ntshanga adds to uncertainty
CEO’s exit is latest step in costly management upheavals at state-owned carriers
The unexplained and abrupt departure of Inati Ntshanga as CEO of troubled airline South African Express (SAX) represents a continuation of the costly management upheavals at state-owned carriers. These companies — South African Airways (SAA), Mango and SAX — have lost a combined R35bn in operational losses and state bail-outs over the past 10 years. The government wants to consolidate the three airlines to stem operational losses. Their proposed merger would be accompanied by the introduction of a minority equity partner for the combined entity. Ntshanga, who was CEO since September 2010, left at the end of March "by agreement with the board", said Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown, who is the political principal responsible for the regional feeder airline. The ejection of Ntshanga came after the Department of Public Enterprises missed its self-imposed deadline of end-March to decide on the proposed merger of the state-owned airlines. For this purpose, the state engaged the se...
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