Pretoria - State-owned arms company Denel has appointed Riaz
Saloojee as new group CEO, Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba said on
Wednesday.
"Riaz has the right industry experience and skills to
take Denel to the next level," Gigaba told reporters at Denel's head
office in Irene, Pretoria.
Saloojee takes over from Talib Sadik, whose stewardship saw
Denel make a profit for the first time in over a decade.
Sadik's contract ends on December 31 2011.
Saloojee has headed various defence organisations including
Saab SA, Grintek Integrated Defence Systems, Metatek and Tau Aerospace.
After completing matric, Saloojee joined the ANC's armed
wing Umkhonto we Sizwe where he held various positions in Angola, Botswana,
Zimbabwe and Zambia.
In 1994, he was appointed a colonel in the SA National
Defence Force.
Gigaba said Saloojee's mandate was to ensure Denel's
sustainability and viability.
Saloojee was also expected to win more international
business for Denel as well as ensuring alignment between Denel and the defence
department.
"He needs to pull his charm to win... the confidence of
the department of defence as the most critical customer that Denel should
have," Gigaba said.