Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams said in a statement on Thursday afternoon that she appreciates the "immense contribution" made by Mark Barnes during his tenure as the CEO of the SA Post Office.
The SAPO announced earlier on Thursday that Barnes had resigned.
Ndabeni-Abrahams said she notes his resignation and that his departure comes at a time when SAPO is charged with driving digital transformation in the postal sector.
She said Barnes played an integral role in strengthening the SAPO. The minister further welcomed the appointment of SAPO group chief operations officer Lindiwe Kwele as interim CEO.
Barnes was CEO for three and a half years on the job. In its earlier statement the SA Post Office indicated that he had resigned over differences on the future strategy relating to the structure of the group and in particular the location of Postbank.
At the same time, according to the SAPO statement, it said the separation was "amicable
According to the SAPO, the departure of Barnes will not negatively impact the organisation's operations. Barnes will remain within the Post Office to aid the transition of the interim CEO.
The Post Office did not provide details on the timelines of Barnes's departure.