South African Airways chairperson Dudu Myeni has faced widespread criticism over the past few years because of continued problems at the airline.

Myeni, who is also the chair of the Jacob Zuma Foundation, was appointed to the SAA board shortly after Zuma became president in 2009.

Numerous reports suggested that her close ties with Zuma were behind her appointment at SAA.

Many people also question whether she is the best person to chair the board of the large parastatal.

Former JSE CEO and former SAA director Russell Loubser said Myeni does not have any business acumen, which is costing the airline dearly.

He said Myeni does not have any relevant airline experience or qualifications, and that it is “clear in the results you’re seeing and the appointments that are made”.

SAA’s main competitor in South Africa is Comair, which operates Kulula and British Airways. Unlike SAA, its chairman Pieter van Hoven is highly experienced in the aviation and tourism industry.

Van Hoven has four decades of experience in the aviation field and served as the managing director of Comair for 26 years.

He was also the chairman of the Airlines Association of South Africa for four years.

Van Hoven was also a member of the board of the Civil Aviation Authority and a member of the South African Tourism Board for 14 years.

When you compare the experience of Myeni and van Hoven, it is clear why many feel there are better people than Myeni to chair SAA.

According to the DA, SAA has failed to publish annual financial statements for 2015/16 and has made an estimated loss of R4 billion.

Comair has operated successfully in South Africa since 1946, and is the only airline to have achieved operating profits for 69 consecutive years.

More on SAA

How much SAA paid its CEOs to leave

South African airline hijacking false alarm