Post Office board member dismissed after 'breakdown of trust' between members

A special general meeting of the shareholder on Friday afternoon resolved to remove SA Post Office (Sapo) board member Colleen Makhubele.

Mish Molakeng, spokesperson for the ministry of communications and digital technologies, confirmed that Makhubele was removed from her position, but he didn’t disclose details.

“The decision was taken after the meeting heard from all board members regarding the conduct of Ms Makhubele. The matters disclosed by the board are of confidential, but we can confirm that they were serious and concerning.”

He said Makhubele was not present at the meeting.

Earlier this month, Sapo board members wrote to the minister, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, asking for her intervention.

In the letter, which TimesLIVE has seen, the board alleged Makhubele accused them of not having the organisation's best interests at heart.

“The initiatives with regards to the improvement of security and cash initiatives like the cashless ATM system, and that of the shareholder were not in line with what Sapo wants to do,” read one of the submissions Makhubele is alleged to have made.

In response to the letter, Ndabeni-Abrahams said the allegations against Makhubele were serious and asked that the board hold a special general meeting urgently to address the issue.

The minister also asked the board to furnish Makhubele with the letter they sent to her, and be in a position to make representations. Makhubele, however, didn't show up at the meeting on Friday afternoon.

The minister also said Makhubele “was intent on sowing disharmony between the board and the unions, if not between the board and the employees themselves, to the prejudice of Sapo”.

She also said there was a breakdown of trust between Makhubele and her fellow board members and indeed possibly between Makhubele and the shareholder.

TimesLIVE