Claims it overstepped its powers by appointing a new board representative following the resignation of the chair. From Moneyweb.
Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille has threatened to dissolve the SA Tourism board, following a decision made earlier this month to appoint a board member to communicate and manage all board decisions after the chair’s resignation in July. She claims this was done without her authorisation.
In a letter addressed to the board from De Lille, the minister says the resolution to appoint a new board member is unlawful.
“I am considering dissolving the board. Prior to doing so, I invite you to provide me with written representations as to why I should not take a decision to dissolve the board,” says the emailed letter dated 12 August, which Moneyweb has seen.
Read: SA Tourism gets a permanent CEO and new board [Feb 2024]
In another development, the board placed SA Tourism’s CEO Nombulelo Guliwe on precautionary suspension on Wednesday (13 August), apparently over management snafus at the Africa Travel Indaba in Durban in May, where some suppliers were left hanging until the last minute, as well as other governance issues.
In a statement issued on Thursday (14 August), the board announced that Guliwe had been placed on precautionary suspension with immediate effect “pending an investigation into allegations of misconduct.”
An interim acting CEO must be appointed with the consent of the minister to ensure seamless business continuity, says the board statement. “We remain fully committed to delivering on our mandate of marketing South Africa as an attractive and competitive tourism destination to domestic and international markets. Our focus remains on sustaining the organisation’s operations, working together with the private sector, safeguarding stakeholder confidence, and ensuring that South African Tourism continues to promote the country’s tourism sector with energy and effectiveness,” the statement adds.
On Thursday, the minister’s office responded that it had received legal advice, indicating that the board’s decision to suspend Guliwe was unlawful. “As of 31 July 2025, the South African Tourism Board does not have a chairperson following the resignation of Professor Gregory Davids. This means, the board in its current form, is not properly constituted to take such a resolution.
“Minister de Lille, remains committed to ensuring the adherence to sound governance principles at South African Tourism and will address the above with the board.”
Read: SA’s hosting of G20 to boost international tourist numbers
Moneyweb understands that legal advice obtained by the board contradicts that of the minister, and that it was entitled to suspend the CEO notwithstanding the fact that there is no chair in place. The board has apparently pressured the minister to appoint a new chair to replace the outgoing Davids.
While this seems largely procedural, Moneyweb understands De Lille has expressed her dissatisfaction with the way the board handled the suspension of the CEO and the appointment of a board member to perform some of Davids’ functions pending the minister’s appointment of a new chair.
