‘Jobs for pals’ threatens South Africa’s air safety

Disgruntled whistleblowers in Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) – the body responsible for air traffic in our skies – have claimed that a culture of “jobs for pals” at the organisation has led to the mismanagement of critical infrastructure, posing a threat to aviation safety and efficiency.

An anonymous letter was sent to Transport Minister Barbara Creecy and public protector Kholeka Gcaleka.

Questionable practices at ATNS

The letter, penned by “concerned staff”, contains allegations against ATNS chief executive Nozipho Mdawe and head of human capital Gayle Serema. The correspondence listed a host of alleged questionable practices within the company.

Sources inside ATNS confirmed the authenticity of the letter, which claimed Mdawe prioritised “jobs for pals”, replacing qualified executives with personal associates lacking relevant experience, especially those connected to her previous tenure in operations at Transnet.

The alleged improper appointments include Serema, the chief business services officer, the chief technology and information officer and other top roles. These appointments are said to have been shielded from oversight, with compromised recruitment standards, which include Mdawe’s own appointment.

It was suggested she lacks the academic qualifications required for her role; she allegedly avoided standard vetting procedures and subsequently removed officials who questioned her credentials.

Inflated salaries and misuse of company resources

In addition, the anonymous authors contend Mdawe and Serema have inflated salaries for their appointees and consultants, far exceeding the standard salary bill, even as longstanding ATNS employees have been denied raises and since resigned.

Further allegations include the misuse of company resources, including using assets for personal purposes.

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The Citizen reported last week on the mismanagement of critical infrastructure at ATNS. A source at ATNS said radio relay communication over parts of the country often broadcast garbled messages, theft of copper cables affecting critical infrastructure occurred frequently and pointed at instances where aircraft simply disappeared from radar for up to 30 seconds, a very long time for aircraft travelling at speeds of well over 800km/h.

The whistle-blower letter highlighted poor decision-making caused by merging critical roles, including eliminating the executive manager of air traffic management that, in turn, allegedly led to flight delays and noncompliance with aviation standards.

The chief executive’s recent appointments were also cited as contributing to the degraded infrastructure, creating safety risks for South African airspace.

ATNS earlier told The Citizen there is no succession planning, nor a solid strategy for filling vacant positions at the coalface, the people who manage aircraft movement in our skies.

Collen Msibi, national spokesperson for the department of transport, confirmed the correspondence was received but, because it was anonymous, “the minister could, therefore, not reply to the author”.

Msibi said the chair of the board of ATNS and the minister had agreed they would cooperate with the public protector’s investigation, rather than start a parallel investigation. “Any consequence management actions that must be taken will be based on the recommendations of the public protector’s report,” he said.

However, public protector spokesperson Khulu Phasiwe said that there was no investigation at present. “The public protector can confirm that it has received a complaint from an anonymous source and that the matter is currently being processed as per our standard operating procedures.”

ALSO READ: Infrastructure failures plague SA airports, causing costly delays and safety risks

Normally the public protector is the final port of call on matters where all other avenues have been exhausted.

ATNS spokesperson Mphilo Dlamini did not answer questions from The Citizen. He said only: “The board of ATNS is aware of the document and it has written to the public protector to pledge its support and cooperation on any investigation.”

Questions relating to the allegations against the ATNS CEO were neither acknowledged, nor answered.

‘Lives are potentially in danger’

Wayne Duvenage of the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) said: “Mismanagement and incompetence over many years have now seen the chickens come home to roost.

“The difference is, in this instance, lives are potentially put in danger.”

Creecy said this week fortnightly oversight visits are now part and parcel of her routine. However, an ATNS staffer said the wool was partly being pulled over her eyes.

The employee said during a recent visit, the minister was given the impression that several temporary foreign controllers were lined up to fill staffing gaps. Yet, only one person was hired, while a second never received an offer of employment.

“The minister is not being shown the real story here,” they said.

In addition, Creecy was accompanied by ATNS executives, “preventing her from hearing about the critical issues directly from the controllers”.

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