Post Office CEO departs amid lease irregularity

"The board of the South African Post Office ... and its group CEO have reached a mutually agreed separation," corporate affairs group executive Lungile Lose said yesterday, 25 January.

Details of the exit package were kept confidential, and questions remain over just how much Lefoka would be paid and whether she would be expected to pay back any of the wasted money stemming from the lease of the Eco Point building in Centurion.

A disciplinary committee hearing was held on Monday and Tuesday, where it is believed Lefoka's settlement was reached.

Last year the board announced that R19m in "fruitless and wasteful" expenditure and R425m in "irregular expenditure" was incurred in the process of moving the Post Office's head office from Pretoria to the new building in Centurion.

Lose said the role of two senior managers in the lease was under police investigation and the Post Office reserved the right to take action to recover its losses.

A separation agreement was also concluded with chief operations officer John Wentzel. Head of strategy Marietjie Lancaster, however, was cleared of all charges against her by an independent external chairperson, Lose said.

He said the board would retain Nick Buick as acting CEO and immediately commence recruitment of a new CEO.

Communication Workers Union deputy president Clyde Mervin welcomed Lefoka's departure, saying the union had been vindicated for raising issues around irregularities at the Post Office.

"We would like to meet with the board to find out exactly what the terms of the resignation were," Mervin said.

Source: Business Day