Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy has issued a ministerial order for the Board of Air Traffic Navigation Services (ATNS) to place its CEO, Nosipho Mdawe, on precautionary suspension.
Creecy subsequently ordered the Board of ATNS to appoint an independent law firm to investigate the conduct of Mdawe concerning the fulfilment of her duties and responsibilities as CEO of ATNS.
Mdawe will remain on suspension pending the finalisation of the investigation and its outcomes.
The Board will appoint ATNS Chief Financial Officer Matome Moholola as Acting CEO.
Progress update
Creecy approved an urgent overhaul of ATNS earlier this year following a preliminary diagnostic report from a committee of aviation experts. The Minister appointed the committee in December last year when it became apparent that there was still a severe backlog in establishing valid and updated instrument approaches at South Africa’s airports, a situation that began in July 2024.
The report identified severe staffing shortages, unreliable navigation systems and gaps in safety practices and governance at ATNS, as reported by Travel News.
Creecy has now provided an update saying that the current alternative means of compliance at key airports will expire in early April.
“ATNS was required to maintain these procedures and ensure that they are flight-ready before this expiry date. These procedures are crucial for efficient airport access in all weather conditions,” said Creecy.
However, she added that it was unlikely that these flight procedures would be flight-ready before April.
“Consequently, urgent steps are being taken to prioritise procedures for minimal impact at major airports such as OR Tambo International, Cape Town International, King Shaka International, Chief Dawid Stuurman International and George airports.
“The focus will be on accelerating contracts with international flight procedure designers and charting specialists. Other airports may face access impacts during poor visibility or bad weather. These procedures will be maintained after completing work at the key airports with domestic and international scheduled operations,” said Creecy.
