South African Airways (SAA) is facing further questions over its leadership after former acting group chief executive officer Matshela Seshibe was found guilty of four disciplinary charges at Air Chefs, the airline’s catering subsidiary.

The findings, reported by Daily Maverick on Tuesday, 27 October, follow Seshibe’s withdrawal of his legal challenge against SAA after the airline excluded him from the interview process for its permanent group CEO position. The disciplinary proceedings were overseen by retired judge Basheer Waglay, with Seshibe facing six charges in total.

He was found guilty on four and acquitted of the remaining two.

 

Four charges upheld

Two of the charges concerned salary adjustments approved for Air Chefs executives Gloria Maile and Zandile Mzilikazi without prior board approval. The disciplinary findings held that the approvals breached the company’s delegation of authority requirements.

Another charge related to an acting allowance approved for an employee, Mpume Spayile, which increased his monthly remuneration from R70,000 to R90,000.

Seshibe argued that the adjustment reflected a change from a four-day to a five-day working week. The disciplinary chair rejected this explanation, finding that the allowance exceeded the policy limit.

The fourth guilty finding concerned the alleged failure to formally declare and manage a potential conflict of interest involving Mzilikazi. The disciplinary chair considered their professional relationship, private communications and Seshibe’s involvement in her promotions and remuneration.

Seshibe was acquitted of the remaining two charges, which concerned the creation of a managerial position and an alleged expansion of a general manager’s responsibilities. The findings indicated that the board had been notified of the new position in its February 2025 minutes, while the allegation concerning the expanded duties was not proven.

 

Seshibe was placed on special leave in August 2026 after disciplinary proceedings were initiated at Air Chefs. He had been serving as SAA’s acting group CEO since April, having previously led the catering subsidiary.

When SAA began the recruitment process for its permanent group CEO, Seshibe applied and was initially shortlisted for an interview. The airline later withdrew his interview invitation following the commencement of the disciplinary proceedings.

He approached the Gauteng Division of the High Court in Johannesburg seeking an order compelling SAA to interview him or halt the recruitment process until the disciplinary proceedings had been finalised.

In his court papers, Seshibe argued that the airline had prejudged his suitability for the position without giving him an opportunity to respond to the allegations. He also pointed to his record at Air Chefs and his role in managing SAA’s liquidity challenges.

His legal representatives withdrew the urgent application in October, instead, they maintained that the decision did not constitute an acceptance of SAA’s position or an abandonment of the concerns raised in his founding affidavit.

SAA confirmed the withdrawal but declined to comment on the reasons, citing the confidential nature of the employment dispute.

Seshibe disputes implications of findings

The disciplinary outcome does not constitute a criminal conviction. Seshibe’s representatives have also disputed any suggestion that the findings establish corruption, fraud, theft, dishonesty or personal financial enrichment. In a response to questions from Daily Maverick, his representatives said the findings concerned governance and approval processes relating to remuneration decisions, alongside the disclosure and management of a perceived conflict of interest.

They further expressed disappointment that the findings had been shared with the media before the internal process had concluded, while maintaining that Seshibe would continue to participate in the proceedings.