Dudu Myeni declared delinquent director
Disgraced South African Airways (SAA) chairperson Dudu Myeni has been declared a delinquent director following a lengthy court battle.
The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) and the SAA Pilots' Association (SAAPA) dragged Myeni to court amid claims that she was to blame for SAA's financial crisis during her six-year tenure at the entity.
They accused her of collapsing and delaying deals that could have averted SAA's financial woes.
Outa CEO Wayne Duvenage welcomed the ruling by Judge Ronel Tolmay.
"Essentially, it means she cannot sit on a board of directors, not as a non-executive or executive director, not as a chairperson.
"Even the fact that she's the chairperson of the Jacob Zuma Foundation, she's going to have to step down."
READ: NUMSA says SAA ignored red flags
During cross-examination in February, Myeni denied any wrongdoing.
Duvenage says the judgement should serve as a warning.
"Civil society is not going to sit back. If the government does want to do anything about the people that they appoint and behave in this manner, then the people are going to do it themselves.
"It sends another message that the courts are listening and taking account of this matter and doing it properly."
He adds it's a bittersweet victory.
"It's so sad that there were so many people purged from this airline as a result of Dudu Myeni," says Duvenage.
"Pre-COVID-19 I don't think this airline would have been in the billions of rands of loss if it weren't for the conduct of Dudu Myeni."
Myeni has also been ordered to pay the two organisations' legal costs.
