BL Premium reports that the SA Post Office (Sapo) has suspended its CEO, Lindiwe Kwele, after just four months into the job.  Sapo, which lost more than R1bn in the last financial year, is one of several state-owned entities that has had to rely on government bailouts to stay afloat.  

The reasons for Kwele’s suspension are not publicly known.  It comes barely months after she took over from Mark Barnes, who resigned in August after clashing with the board and the government over their decision to hive off Postbank, the financial services arm of the Post Office, with ambitions to become a fully-fledged bank.  Kwele and the head of the supply chain management division, Mothusi Motjale, were placed on suspension on 4 December.  Sapo confirmed the suspension of the duo, saying it would allow for an independent investigation into unspecified matters.  Kwele’s lawyer, Eric Mabuza, said his client had already taken urgent steps to challenge the suspension.  "We maintain that her suspension was unlawful.  We are very confident that this suspension will be set aside by an independent panel as unlawful," he stated.  Ivumile Nongogo, an executive in Sapo’s governance and regulatory affairs department, has been appointed acting group CEO.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Genevieve Quintal at BusinessLive (paywall access only)
• Read too, Suspended acting Post Office CEO ready to fight 'frivolous' charges, at Fin24

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