“[He] has not left LAM [Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique], he is with us, continues to talk to us, there were never any problems, he is in Mozambique, continues working at LAM, thus completing the first part of a short-term contract (…). Our evaluation of his work is positive, and from what we see, if everything goes well, we will extend his contract for a longer period,” stated Daniel Chapo.
The discussion revolves around the appointment of Dane Kondic, head of LAM’s management committee since May, to the position of Chairman of the Board of Air Botswana, as announced by the Botswana carrier on June 29.
Speaking to the press after a presidential visit to the Maputo province, which concluded on Sunday, Chapo noted that Kondic had explained to LAM that he did not mention the contract with the Botswana airline because he believed this would not interfere with his duties in Mozambique.
“He could only go there every three or four months just to continue providing advice as agreed with the Botswana airline,” Chapo explained.
The head of state emphasized that he is closely following LAM’s restructuring process, receiving daily forensic audit reports from the teams, and assessed the process as “positive.”
“The contract being short-term, about three months, is already concluded, as it’s 90 days. He is asking us to extend it for a somewhat longer period. Based on what we have seen of the restructuring process, we will need him for more time,” Chapo stated.
Dane Kondic, 60, holds dual nationality (Serbian and Australian) and has served in various roles in airlines across multiple countries, including as Chairman of the Board of the Portuguese euroAtlantic.
The Mozambican Institute for the Management of State Holdings (Igepe) announced on May 13 the removal of LAM’s administration and the appointment of a management committee headed by Dane Kondic.
The decision was made at an extraordinary general meeting of LAM, as part of the state airline’s “revitalization process,” which led to the immediate cessation of the functions of Marcelino Gildo Alberto, who was the Chairman of the Board, and administrators Altino Xavier Mavile and Bruno Miranda.
A non-executive board of directors was also approved, composed of representatives from the three state-owned companies that became LAM’s shareholders this year: Hidroelétrica de Cahora Bassa (HCB), Portos e Caminhos de Ferro de Moçambique (CFM), and Empresa Moçambicana de Seguros (Emose).
In May, consultancy Knighthood Global announced it had three months to “stabilize and reposition” LAM, explaining it was “appointed by the Government of Mozambique to help revitalize” the airline and “the country’s aviation sector in general,” having launched a tender in June to lease up to five Boeing 737-700s for the Mozambican airline.
For several years, LAM has faced operational challenges due to a reduced fleet and lack of investments, with some recorded incidents, none fatal, attributed by experts to poor aircraft maintenance.
