Political turmoil has erupted within South Africa’s tourism sector following Minister Patricia de Lille’s contentious decision to dissolve the South African Tourism Board, a move that has drawn sharp criticism and calls for reinstatement from various political parties within the Tourism Portfolio Committee.
At the heart of the matter is a nine-hour marathon meeting convened by the committee, spearheaded by chairperson Ronaldo Nalumango, aimed at unpacking the reasons behind the board’s dissolution. Nalumango indicated that she would seek legal advice regarding the legality of the board’s reinstatement, highlighting the conflicting justifications provided by Minister De Lille for her controversial decision.
The dissolution was precipitated by a round robin vote resulting in the suspension of the board’s chief executive officer, Nombulelo Guliwe, shortly after the resignation of Board Chairperson Professor Gregory Davids. This sudden leadership vacuum left the board without both a chairperson and a deputy chairperson, triggering serious governance concerns.
De Lille has maintained that her decision was legally sound, citing procedural irregularities within the Tourism Act that she argues warranted the board’s dissolution. “There is a procedure in the Tourism Act that prescribes that in the event that you want to have a special meeting, there is a procedure that you must follow,” she stated. “Nowhere in the act does it make provision or reference to a representative of the board.”
However, former board member Lawson Naidoo has thrown doubt on the legitimacy of De Lille’s move. According to Naidoo, the minister’s basis for dissolution shifted from illegality of a resolution to claims of an unlawful meeting, which he asserts denied board members the opportunity to respond and undermined the validity of the minister’s actions.
Critics within the committee have highlighted De Lille’s apparent focus on the alleged procedural shortcomings of the board rather than addressing the underlying issues surrounding Guliwe’s suspension. “The minister ignored substantive issues of governance and financial mismanagement when dissolving the board,” asserted Nalumango. “The new board must deal with the suspension of the CEO, who has a chequered past with material irregularities of R4.2 million happening under her tenure.”
This situation has prompted many stakeholders to question the future of governance within the tourism sector. With tensions mounting, pressure is building on Minister De Lille to not only justify her decision but also to consider the reinstatement of the board that played a crucial role in South Africa’s tourist landscape.