Deanw
14th May 2004, 11:03
Yet another executive leaves Acsa under a Hlahla cloud
May 14, 2004
By Nicky Smith
Johannesburg - This week's resignation of Monwabisi Kalawe, the general manager of Cape Town International Airport, brings to seven the number of executives who have left Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) since the beginning of 2002.
An initially reluctant Kalawe confirmed his resignation yesterday.
Speculation is that he may have clashed once too often with Acsa's chief executive, Monhla Hlahla.
However, Kalawe rejected suggestions that his relationship with Hlahla had been anything but "supportive".
Just three weeks ago the International Air Transport Association named Cape Town's airport the best in the world catering for under 5 million passengers a year.
Kalawe, who had been at Acsa for six-and-a-half years, said he was leaving to "explore opportunities outside aviation". But two different sources said there had been tension between Hlahla and Kalawe.
One cautiously said there had been "discussions" and the other a "slanging match" between the two regarding the way publicity had been handled following the award.
It was suggested that Hlahla believed she should have made the announcement on the award.
Hlahla said she was not aware of any tensions between her and Kalawe and that their discussions had been routine. Acsa, like any other company in South Africa, had to battle to keep its black talent.
Hlahla was appointed in November 2001. Former employees have said that Hlahla was out of her depth when given Acsa's top job.
Another past executive said Hlahla had had pressure from all sides when she took the job. He said Mashudu Romano, a non-executive chairman at the time, had made Hlahla's first couple of months very difficult because he had "interfered" where he should not have.
Another executive told how Hlahla had arrived at a time when Acsa had a completely new board that had yet to find its feet, plus a new minister, and there was not much support for the relatively inexperienced Hlahla.
The pressure from Italian 20 percent shareholder Aeroporto di Roma was considerable.
It controlled the capital expenditure budget and limited Hlahla's ability to make strategic decisions.
The combination of these factors created an environment that undermined Hlahla's confidence and she behaved accordingly, said one sympathetic former executive.
The change in atmosphere precipitated the exodus of executive skills.
However, another former executive criticised Acsa's leadership as weak, citing Hlahla as overbearing and controlling. Her personality did not allow people to take responsibility.
Yet another executive said: "That she has survived two-and-a-half years in that job is a feather in her cap."
Acsa reported a 19 percent rise in revenue to R1.6 billion for 2002/03 and an impressive 61 percent increase in net profit to about R661 million.
News24
May 14, 2004
By Nicky Smith
Johannesburg - This week's resignation of Monwabisi Kalawe, the general manager of Cape Town International Airport, brings to seven the number of executives who have left Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) since the beginning of 2002.
An initially reluctant Kalawe confirmed his resignation yesterday.
Speculation is that he may have clashed once too often with Acsa's chief executive, Monhla Hlahla.
However, Kalawe rejected suggestions that his relationship with Hlahla had been anything but "supportive".
Just three weeks ago the International Air Transport Association named Cape Town's airport the best in the world catering for under 5 million passengers a year.
Kalawe, who had been at Acsa for six-and-a-half years, said he was leaving to "explore opportunities outside aviation". But two different sources said there had been tension between Hlahla and Kalawe.
One cautiously said there had been "discussions" and the other a "slanging match" between the two regarding the way publicity had been handled following the award.
It was suggested that Hlahla believed she should have made the announcement on the award.
Hlahla said she was not aware of any tensions between her and Kalawe and that their discussions had been routine. Acsa, like any other company in South Africa, had to battle to keep its black talent.
Hlahla was appointed in November 2001. Former employees have said that Hlahla was out of her depth when given Acsa's top job.
Another past executive said Hlahla had had pressure from all sides when she took the job. He said Mashudu Romano, a non-executive chairman at the time, had made Hlahla's first couple of months very difficult because he had "interfered" where he should not have.
Another executive told how Hlahla had arrived at a time when Acsa had a completely new board that had yet to find its feet, plus a new minister, and there was not much support for the relatively inexperienced Hlahla.
The pressure from Italian 20 percent shareholder Aeroporto di Roma was considerable.
It controlled the capital expenditure budget and limited Hlahla's ability to make strategic decisions.
The combination of these factors created an environment that undermined Hlahla's confidence and she behaved accordingly, said one sympathetic former executive.
The change in atmosphere precipitated the exodus of executive skills.
However, another former executive criticised Acsa's leadership as weak, citing Hlahla as overbearing and controlling. Her personality did not allow people to take responsibility.
Yet another executive said: "That she has survived two-and-a-half years in that job is a feather in her cap."
Acsa reported a 19 percent rise in revenue to R1.6 billion for 2002/03 and an impressive 61 percent increase in net profit to about R661 million.
News24