Deanw
17th May 2004, 11:22
Acsa awaits court date over sacking of security executive
May 17, 2004
By Nicky Smith
Johannesburg - Within a month the Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) and Monhla Hlahla, its chief executive, are likely to know when they will have to go to the labour court to defend the dismissal of one of airports operator's top executives.
Paul O'Sullivan, who was fired as Acsa's group executive for aviation security last year, apparently because of "irreconcilable differences", is fighting to get his job back.
His legal advisers said on Friday that the team would be filing the last of the necessary papers today and they expected to have a date for a hearing within a month.
O'Sullivan has brought a number of legal actions since his sacking from Acsa.
He will be suing the company and Hlahla for R20 million in damages for defamation.
This action dates back to the daring R125 million heist at Johannesburg International Airport. The case goes to court on March 11 next year.
O'Sullivan has also applied to the courts for an investigation of police commissioner Jackie Selebi's conduct at the time. His legal advisers were expecting a court date to be set down tomorrow.
There has been an exodus of nine executives from Acsa since the beginning of 2002. Seven executives resigned, one took early retirement and O'Sullivan was fired.
In addition, last week Cape Town International airport's general manager, Monwabisi Kalawe, confirmed he would be leaving Acsa.
The rumours surrounding his unexpected departure suggest the corporate environment at Acsa as well as the management style of Hlahla have alienated the company's top talent over the past two years.
However, both Kalawe and Hlahla said there had not been any tension between them.
The executives who have resigned are: Dino Colbert, the group executive for internal audit; Juliana Morudu, the group executive for human resources; Siva Pillay, the group executive for business and market development; Vernon Naidoo, the group executive for corporate governance; Wallace Holmes, the executive director of finance; Mafahle Mareletse, the executive director for national airports; and Piet de Jager, the group executive for airport management solutions, who opted for early retirement in 2002 after almost nine years with the company.
Some of these former executives described Acsa as a company caught between political and business imperatives.
May 17, 2004
By Nicky Smith
Johannesburg - Within a month the Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) and Monhla Hlahla, its chief executive, are likely to know when they will have to go to the labour court to defend the dismissal of one of airports operator's top executives.
Paul O'Sullivan, who was fired as Acsa's group executive for aviation security last year, apparently because of "irreconcilable differences", is fighting to get his job back.
His legal advisers said on Friday that the team would be filing the last of the necessary papers today and they expected to have a date for a hearing within a month.
O'Sullivan has brought a number of legal actions since his sacking from Acsa.
He will be suing the company and Hlahla for R20 million in damages for defamation.
This action dates back to the daring R125 million heist at Johannesburg International Airport. The case goes to court on March 11 next year.
O'Sullivan has also applied to the courts for an investigation of police commissioner Jackie Selebi's conduct at the time. His legal advisers were expecting a court date to be set down tomorrow.
There has been an exodus of nine executives from Acsa since the beginning of 2002. Seven executives resigned, one took early retirement and O'Sullivan was fired.
In addition, last week Cape Town International airport's general manager, Monwabisi Kalawe, confirmed he would be leaving Acsa.
The rumours surrounding his unexpected departure suggest the corporate environment at Acsa as well as the management style of Hlahla have alienated the company's top talent over the past two years.
However, both Kalawe and Hlahla said there had not been any tension between them.
The executives who have resigned are: Dino Colbert, the group executive for internal audit; Juliana Morudu, the group executive for human resources; Siva Pillay, the group executive for business and market development; Vernon Naidoo, the group executive for corporate governance; Wallace Holmes, the executive director of finance; Mafahle Mareletse, the executive director for national airports; and Piet de Jager, the group executive for airport management solutions, who opted for early retirement in 2002 after almost nine years with the company.
Some of these former executives described Acsa as a company caught between political and business imperatives.