Kaizer Nyatsumba (Supplied)
The Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (SEIFSA) has put its CEO Kaizer Nyatsumba on “precautionary suspension” pending an investigation against him.
SEIFSA board chairperson Elias Monage confirmed that Nyatsumba, a former newspaper editor, has been on suspension since 3 May.
The news of his suspension has been kept under wraps until now, and the federation declined to divulge the reason for the probe. However, Nyatsumba said his suspension, which took place while he was recovering at home after being hospitalised, came as shock to him.
“I can confirm that on Monday, 3 May 2021, during my second week of working from home as I was recuperating after I had spent a week at Morningside Medi-Clinic, I was placed on ‘precautionary suspension’ by the board to enable it to conduct an investigation,” he said in a statement.
“I was utterly surprised and shocked by the board’s action, which was totally unexpected.”
Nyatsumba joined SEIFSA on 1 November 2013 as chief executive officer and has been at the helm during a period where the industry has faced a steady decline.
“Throughout
my working career, I have done nothing that has been ever worthy of an
investigation, and I have absolutely no doubt that, at the end of it all, I
will be vindicated. Over more than three decades, I have worked very hard,
across different industries, to build a career based on honesty and unimpeachable
integrity. I don’t know if everybody can say the same,” he said.
Operations Director Lucio Trentini and CFO Rajendra Rajcoomar have taken charge of the running of the organisation in Nyatsumba’s absence.
*This article has been updated to include Nyatsumba’s comment
