Top Samsa official cleared and reinstated after a two-and-a-half-year suspension

The COO of South Africa’s maritime industry regulator has been reinstated after a two-and-a-half-year suspension.

Sobantu Tilayi was suspended in February last year along with two other senior officials pending investigations into allegations of misconduct at the South African Maritime Safety Authority.

The investigations had been concluded, and Tilayi is back in office, Samsa said in a statement. “The (Samsa) board, having applied its collective mind to the various investigations and reports, unanimously agreed with recommendations of a senior counsel and, in line with these, we are pleased to announce the reinstatement of Mr S Tilayi at Samsa as COO after a difficult period of absence,” Samsa said.

“Regarding the two other executives that were suspended along with Mr Tilayi, it is noted that one of the cases is now before the Council for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), while the other is still undergoing relevant disciplinary processes, with the hope that both these will be concluded very soon,” it added.

Tilayi previously claimed his suspension appeared to be aimed at destabilising Samsa to serve political and commercial interests. He said the disciplinary process to date had cleared him of allegations contained in a forensic report released last year. 

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