Fresh blow for Daybreak as CFO put on precautionary suspension

Daybreak Foods’ chief financial officer has been placed on precautionary suspension amid an investigation into allegations of serious misconduct, the latest in a long run of executive departures at the state-owned poultry producer.

Aubrey Dali, a chartered accountant with roughly two decades of experience, was suspended on full pay on Friday by senior business rescue practitioner Tebogo Maoto, pending an investigation into allegations of gross misconduct and fraud during his tenure. Dali, who joined as CFO in October 2024, will step away from all duties while an independent disciplinary process is arranged, with the business rescue team handling his responsibilities in the meantime.

Daybreak, a major employer in Delmas, Mpumalanga, has been under business rescue since June following an animal welfare crisis that saw the NSPCA cull more than 350,000 starving chicks, with government support topping R2 billion since 2015. Dali previously resigned and then quickly rejoined the company after a dispute with its then-chairperson, one of at least six senior departures at Daybreak over the past three years.

Maoto said the company would not act further until the investigation concludes, pointing to years of board and executive mismanagement, alongside pressures such as load shedding and avian flu, as the root of Daybreak’s troubles. The turnaround is now in its second of three phases, focused on stabilising operations, ahead of a planned third phase to bring in private investors and reduce the state’s stake.