South African Airways Gets New Board Members, Chairman

South Africa’s minister of public enterprises, Malusi Gigaba, appointed seven new board members and a chairman to South African Airways, the continent’s biggest airline, less than a day after they resigned.

Gigaba named Vuyisile Kona as the chairman, replacing Cheryl Carolus, according to an e-mailed statement from the ministry today. Kona was previously head of strategy at the state-owned airline, said Mayihlome Tshwete, a spokesman for the minister.

Cheryl Carolus, the former chairwoman of the Johannesburg- based airline, and six other board members resigned because of a disagreement with the government over the filing of the comapny’s financial accounts prior to its annual general meeting planned for Oct. 15. Directors of the company had a breakdown in the relationship with its shareholder, represented by Gigaba, Carolus said in an interview with Johannesburg-based SAFM radio station today.

“The minister finds the resignations and their timing bizarre,” Gigaba said in an e-mailed statement today.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jaco Visser in Johannesburg at avisser3@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Antony Sguazzin at asguazzin@bloomberg.net