Embattled national airliner Air Botswana is reportedly trudging back to recovery, after a turbulent period that culminated with the sacking of General Manager Ben Dahwa and the entire board of directors. Reports indicate that Minister of Transport and Communication Tshenolo Mabeo is slowly but surely panel beating Air Botswana back to shape by rebuilding the entire board, a process that started with the appointment of former army commander General Tebogo Masire.
While government has remained tight lipped on the composition of the new board, The Telegraph is reliably informed that General Masire has been confirmed as the Air Botswana board Chairman, replacing Nigel Dixon-Warren. Notable returnees to the new board include Cosmos Moapare- Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Local Enterprise authority (LEA) and Sally Ann-Smith, a senior executive at Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO). Both were part of the immediate past Air Botswana board of directors.
General Masire and his newly appointed board are expected to identify suitable candidates to fill the post of substantive General Manager and other senior executive positions that have been vacant since last year.
“We have been working closely with the management of Air Botswana and other stakeholders to identify the right people,” said Mabeo in a recent interview.
He however added could not reveal a definite time frame within which they would have appointed all the board members.
“It’s very important for us to identify the right people for the job. At this time I am not at liberty to divulge their names, but I assure you it will not be long before we announce the new board”. Meanwhile, Air Botswana Finance Manager, Agnes Khunwane has been holding the fort as acting GM as government battles to panel beat the airliner back to shape. The national airliner has been sailing without a rudder since late last year.
