Johannesburg - Monwabisi Kalawe, the chief executive officer of South African Airways, has resigned with immediate effect, the national airline said on Thursday.
Spokesman Tladi Tladi said Kalawe resigned from his position as the CEO and as a director of SAA.
“Mr Kalawe will receive a payment from SAA in lieu of his contractual three months notice and outstanding leave pay up to the termination date. He will, in addition, receive an ex gratia payment equivalent to an additional three months’ notice in return for agreeing to give his notice of resignation with immediate effect,” Tlali said.
This followed the urgent application launched by Kalawe in the Labour Court of South Africa in respect of two alleged protected disclosures and referred to arbitration before Advocate Nazeer Cassim SC (who is also the disciplinary chairperson) was argued by the parties’ legal representatives on Friday, 17 April 2015.
“During the arbitration proceedings, both parties agreed that the employment relationship between Mr Kalawe and SAA had irretrievably broken down and that Mr Kalawe would not seek to continue employment at SAA.”
Advocate Cassim strongly urged both SAA and Kalawe to mutually agree and resolve the terms of CEO’s departure from SAA to avoid the costs and damage associated with protracted legal proceedings and to protect the best interests of the company as a public institution.
“The parties believe that this resolution avoids further expensive and protracted litigation which is not in the interest of either party and is ultimately in the best interests of both parties and the public good.”
This settlement would enable SAA to focus its full attention on the operational challenges facing it, Tladi said.
The parties indicated that they would not issue further media releases concerning the settlement of the matter.
ANA