Independent report finds no evidence of favoritism claims against MTN Group CEO

MTN CEO Ralph Mupita has been cleared of an allegation of giving preferential treatment to an unnamed female executive after an investigation by an independent law firm.

The misconduct allegations, filed by an anonymous complainant, made headlines earlier this week and reportedly led to several members of the company’s executive team threatening to resign.

One of the allegations was that Mupita  transferred responsibilities of MTN South Africa’s CEO to the unnamed executive.

The investigation found no evidence of improper conduct, and attempts to engage with the complainant were unsuccessful, MTN said in a statement on Friday.

“In its deliberations, the board accepted the report finding and is of the view that the matter has been addressed and is now closed. The board further expressed its full support for the Group Chief Executive Officer and the MTN strategy.”

The outcome of the investigation is a sigh of relief for Mupita who has come under fire over the favouritism allegations which raised serious questions about corporate governance at Africa’s biggest telco. On Tuesday, Mupita assured employees that MTN had governance processes in place to address their concerns.

Mupita also reportedly garnered the support of ten of the company’s 15  following the allegations.

Since 2021, MTN’s South Africa subsidiary has seen numerous high-ranking executives leave the company. These include CEOs Charles Molapisi, Godfrey Motsa, CTO Giovanni Chiarelli, chief strategy officer Marco Gagiano, chief sales and regional operations officer Phillip Besiimire, chief technology and information officer Michele Gamberini and chief sustainability and corporate affairs officer, Jacqui O’Sullivan.