Sifiso Dabengwa, former MTN Group CEO dies of cancer

Sifiso Dabengwa, the former CEO of MTN Group, lost his fight with cancer on Monday morning and was declared deceased.

From March 2011 until his forced resignation in 2015, Dabengwa oversaw MTN’s CEO operations. At the time, the company was trying to find a method to avoid paying Nigeria’s record N1.04 trillion fine for neglecting to disconnect more than five million SIM card users who were not registered.

Until 2006, Dabengwa, who was born in Zimbabwe, also held a brief position as CEO of MTN Nigeria.

Themba Sibanyoni, a family spokesman, is cited by South African media sites as confirming his passing.

According to the reports, Sibanyoni said: “Dabengwa was a titan in the telecommunications industry and an astute businessman. His tenure as CEO of MTN Group from 2011 to 2015 was marked by visionary leadership, integrity, and dedication that drove significant advancements in the industry”.

Sibanyoni said Dabengwa, left a legacy that extends far beyond the boardroom.

“He was an advocate for education and a fervent believer in the power of technology to transform lives.”

An MTN top executive who also confirmed the death at MTN headquarters in Johannesburg, South Africa, said MTN recieved the news of his death with shock and heavy heart.

She noted that everybody in MTN was in a mourning mood considering that Dabengwa was still a member of the MTN family having headed the telecommunication giant for a number of progressive years.

Dabengwa was said to have battled Cancer for a while but gave up early hours of Monday.