Former SA Tourism board hits back at Minister

Members of the South African Tourism board spoke out against Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille’s explanations for dissolving the board in parliament on September 2.

Long-running member of the SA Tourism board, Tumelo Selikane, said that the board comprises the biggest stakeholders in the tourism industry and expects the minister to act purely as an oversight to the board’s decisions.

“Contrary to alleged comments, we are not incompetent. We are the top industry leaders. We represent the sector,” he said. 

The Tourism minister dissolved the SA Tourism board after it unanimously decided to place CEO Nombulelo Guliwe on precautionary suspension due to allegations of financial misconduct. 

The minister stated that the resolution taken on August 1 was unlawful, as the board lacked the authority to suspend the CEO without a chairperson.

She accused board member Lawson Naidoo of inappropriately acting in the place of chairperson, with the title “board representative.” 

Former chairperson Gregory Davids resigned on 31 July. The minister did not appoint a new chairperson, despite calls from the board to do so. 

Appearing in parliament, De Lille said that she was unable to appoint a new chair because there were factions within the board. 

All the former board members who attended the parliamentary hearing denied this. “That was news to us. When we asked when the new chair would be appointed, the minister said she was working on it,” said Selikane. 

Board member Ikageng Oupa Pilane said that the minister “blue ticked” them when they asked for a new chair.

“You would think that if the minister was unable to appoint a chair because of factions, she would have brought this to our attention,” Selikane said. 

Lizelle Haskins and Makhosazana Khanyile agreed with this, despite being removed by the minister as chair and deputy chair in September 2024 and having four board members follow them in resigning. 

Ikageng Oupa Pilane, who was one of the members who remained on the board after this, said that there was no factionalism between those who stayed and those who left.

“We consulted with tourism organisations and they said, ‘you are representing the industry, you can’t resign’, so we stayed.”

Naidoo said that the minister did not give the members an opportunity to respond to her letter dissolving the board, and doing so on the grounds that there was an unprocedural meeting on August 1 was not accurate. 

“The crisp point is that there was no meeting of the board on August 1,” he said. 

The parliament committee said it would give De Lille “one last chance to take the people of South Africa into confidence” and asked her if she was not concerned about the claims made by the board leading to the CEO’s suspension. 

“There is information in the public domain about alleged irregularities under the watch of the suspended CEO, in that a R100 million tender was awarded by SA Tourism to Pomme Express,” Parliament said. 

“The company is reported to have failed to show proof of experience and is alleged to have provided false misleading information in its bid.”

When asked if she was not concerned about these allegations, she said, “I am concerned with any allegation.”

“Any public allegations, wherever they come from, must be investigated, they must be tested, and the law must take its course. That is my position on any allegation.”

She added that the CEO, or the head of supply chain management, should answer to these irregularities, and not her.

Following the irregularities, De Lille said she instructed the CEO to take relevant consequent management steps against the CMO. 

SA Tourism absent from key events due to controversy

De Lille said that, despite the recent controversy, there is no crisis at SA Tourism. “I have appointed 6 South Africans to handle the affairs of SA Tourism, up until I have appointed a new board,” she said. 

The new board includes a chairperson and a deputy chairperson.

Dissolved board members said, however, that the controversy and lack of leadership has resulted in SA Tourism not being involved with key trade shows.

This includes the IMEX trade show, the biggest trade show in the business events industry. 

“The minister said that there isn’t a crisis, maybe there isn’t at the current moment,” said Selikane. 

He said that South Africa’s involvement in these global trade shows has a direct influence on tourism and, therefore, job creation. Without a chairperson, CEO, or CFO, however, the board has not been able to participate in these events. 

“The minister has crippled this board with her indecision,” Selikane said. 

The South African Tourism Services Association said it stands firmly with the dissolved board members and supports the board’s right to pursue legal recourse, believing this would be “justified and necessary.”

“These are individuals of the highest calibre, motivated not by politics or malice but by service to our industry and country,” the association said.