The suspended SAA acting CEO, Matshela Seshibe, has asked the Johannesburg High Court to force the airline either to interview him for the permanent group chief executive job or to freeze the hiring process until his disciplinary case is finished, according to Daily Maverick. The state-owned carrier says it will respond through the courts.
The timing is tight. Seshibe has asked for an urgent hearing on 20 October, and The Citizen reports that SAA is expected to appoint a permanent CEO by the end of the month. The allegations against him are his to answer and have not been tested in any forum, and no finding of misconduct has been reported.
How the dispute unfolded
Seshibe, previously CEO of SAA’s catering subsidiary Air Chefs, became acting group CEO in April 2026 after John Lamola resigned. ch-aviation reports that he effectively took over on 1 May.
On 14 August 2026, the SAA board placed him on special leave with immediate effect. Business Day reported that the leave applied pending an internal process, and that the airline did not say what the process was or whether it related to allegations against him. SAA’s chief legal officer, Koekie Mbeki, was named acting group CEO. Board chair Sedzani Mudau said: “We recognise the responsibility entrusted to us and will continue to act decisively.”
What Seshibe says in his papers
Daily Maverick, which reviewed the filings, reports that SAA advertised the permanent CEO post in August, that Seshibe applied, and that SAA found him qualified, shortlisted him and invited him to interview. Air Chefs then brought internal disciplinary charges against him. SAA cancelled the interview and told him he was excluded from the recruitment process because of those charges. Daily Maverick notes that this was not a direct admission by the airline.
According to The Citizen, his founding affidavit does not disclose the charges. He says he has a substantial defence and that no finding of misconduct has been made. The reports set out his complaints, which are his allegations against SAA and not established fact:
- He was disqualified because of unresolved charges that he denies.
- His interview was withdrawn without a chance to explain himself or respond.
- SAA treated unproven allegations as if they were established, damaging his reputation.
- SAA ignored his record. He says Air Chefs achieved record profitability, improved operating margins, its highest cash reserves and better audit outcomes under his leadership.
The Citizen adds that, in March 2026, Seshibe says SAA put him in charge of its Liquidity Crisis Committee, where he introduced daily cash monitoring, extended the projected cash runway to September, and oversaw a revised corporate plan and budget. These are his claims in court papers, and SAA has not publicly responded to them.
On 7 October 2026, his lawyers wrote to SAA demanding either an interview or a pause in recruitment until the disciplinary matter was resolved. Daily Maverick reports that SAA did not respond.
The relief sought and SAA’s response
Seshibe asks the court for one of two outcomes. The first is an order that SAA interview him and consider his application alongside the other candidates. The second, if SAA will not interview him now, is that the entire hiring process be frozen until his disciplinary proceedings with Air Chefs conclude. His argument on urgency, as reported by Daily Maverick, is that if someone else is appointed first, he permanently loses the chance, even if he later clears his name.
SAA corporate affairs head Mphilo Dlamini told Daily Maverick: “As the matter is now sub judice and before the court, SAA will address it through the appropriate legal processes.” He added that SAA will not comment further on the matter through the media.
The Citizen reports that Dlamini confirmed SAA had received the court application but declined to comment on the allegations.
What happens next
Two dates matter. The first is 20 October, when Seshibe wants the High Court to hear his application. Daily Maverick reports that his disciplinary hearing with Air Chefs is also set down for Tuesday, 20 October. The second is the end of October, the point by which SAA intends to appoint a permanent CEO.
The case lands on an airline that has had three chief executives in under four months, according to Business Day, which also reported a wider shake-up that included the early retirement of the chief financial officer and the resignation of three independent board members.
No court has yet ruled, no case number has been reported, and the nature of the Air Chefs charges remains undisclosed.
