EOH Holdings chairman Xolani Humphrey Mkhwanazi has passed away, the JSE-listed technology group said on Monday.

Mkhwanazi died peacefully in the early hours of Saturday, 4 January at the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre in Parktown, Johannesburg, having been admitted on 14 December 2019, the company said.

He was appointed to the EOH board on 5 June 2019 as chairman and independent non-executive director, replacing co-founder Asher Bohbot.

“I worked closely with Dr Mkhwanazi, who played a pivotal role in helping to guide EOH toward a better future,” said EOH CEO Stephen van Coller in a statement.

“Dr Mkhwanazi led the board deliberations on all group matters, but most notably during the tough deliberations around the findings of the ENSafrica investigation commissioned by EOH into public sector contracts,” he said.

“During this period, Dr Mkhwanazi braved a difficult time, always striving to do the right thing. He grasped the issues and dealt with them quickly. He will be sorely missed.”

Mkhwanazi is a former chairman of BHP Billiton in South Africa. He also previously led Bateman Africa as CEO and was also CEO of the national electricity regulator.