SAA chairperson Dudu Myeni
Photo by: Duane Daws
South African Airways (SAA) chairperson Dudu Myeni says she has a good working relationship with her executive directors, despite media reports.
In an exclusive interview with News24 at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Wednesday, Myeni said she was aware that some of her colleagues were leaking information to the media.
“I saw stories in the newspapers saying that I am constantly fighting with the executive directors and telling the CFO and acting CEO that I do not trust them.
“This is not true because these are the same people that I rely on to run the company. They are there Monday to Friday, 07:00 to 16:00.”
Trust
She said the relationship between a CEO and the chairperson was important in any company.
“The two must strive to have a really good relationship, so how can I tell people that I do not trust them? Why would I not trust a person?
“It blew my mind when I read stories in some of the newspapers that reported that a CFO used a pen to record the chairperson. How does such information land up in the media?
“Why would the CFO feel the need to go as far as recording a meeting [when] there is always a company secretary and she takes down the minutes of every discussion.”
Myeni said she was not against being recorded, she just had a problem with being recorded in secret.
“There is nothing wrong with a person bringing a recording device to any meeting, but what is wrong is not to declare it. Bring your device and record the meeting, but tell me that you are recording and declare it.
“I have no reason not to trust a person. When I meet a person, I give them ten out of ten and it is the person that reduces my trust.
“I have a professional working relationship with the executives. Everything we do is for the benefit of South Africans. We are changing SAA for the better,” she said.