By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
South African Tourism’s acting chief financial officer Johan van der Walt has resigned after he was implicated in the R1 billion Tottenham Hotspur sleeve sponsorship saga.
The tourism board accepted his resignation last Tuesday after he issued it on 9 February, said spokesperson Thandiwe Mathibela.
Van der Walt was appointed on a seven-month contract which started last month following the resignation of the organisation’s former CFO.
“The process for recruiting a new CFO is currently under way,” said Mathibela.
SA Tourism’s financial management general manager, Themba Ndlovu, will act in Van der Walt’s position until a permanent CFO is appointed.
Last Tuesday, the SA Tourism board issued Van der Walt a letter instructing him to justify why he should not be suspended for his involvement in the controversial Tottenham Hotspur sponsorship proposal.
Van der Walt admitted he had links to an agency that was set to receive more than R31 million from the controversial sponsorship deal with English Premier League soccer team Tottenham Hotspur, with acting CEO Themba Khumalo having felt that he had brought the public on his side with the Spurs deal via his animated media briefing on Thursday, 2 February.
The extent of Khumalo’s knowledge of Van der Walt’s conflicted situation is unknown.
At a heated SA Tourism board meeting on Saturday, 4 February, board members expressed anger at having been left in the dark about Van der Walt’s situation before giving their approval to the deal.
A terse statement from the board members in question subsequently led to the resignation of Enver Duminy, Ravi Nadasen and Rosemary Anderson as a result of “a difference of opinion”.
Van Der Walt insisted that he had no financial interests with the agency, WWP Group, but confirmed that he had done consulting work for the firm.
SA Tourism is still pressing on with the Spurs sponsorship deal, despite loud protestations against the deal in society.
A decision on whether the deal will be approved is awaited from Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana and President Cyril Ramaphosa.