By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Minister of Tourism Patricia De Lille has scrapped the deal to sponsor English football club Tottenham Hotspur reported to be worth about 1 billion rand.
In the proposed deal, which sparked widespread controversy within the sports community, who felt the sizeable amount would be better spent locally. SA would pay the amount over three years.
The confirmation of the cancellation was announced in a statement by De Lille on Thursday evening.
De Lille said in the midst of the tough economic conditions it was not correct to use this kind of money in a sponsorship.
“In a letter from the SA Tourism board chairperson, based on the advice I have given to the board and which I had publicly stated, that the deal should not proceed, the SA Tourism board has agreed not to proceed with the proposal. The SA Tourism board will no longer proceed with the transaction, nor will it seek the concomitant requisite approvals for the proposed transaction,” said De Lille.
“This matter is now concluded, and we continue working together to explore all avenues,” added de Lille.
She said she would continue to work with SA Tourism to find better options to promote South Africa to tourists overseas.
South Africa had been one of the top destinations for tourists in the past decade until Covid-19 caused disruption in the sector.
But De Lille said there will always be ways of getting more people abroad to visit the country.
One of her immediate tasks was to increase the number of tourists who come to South Africa.
She will look at the issues at hand and engage with the SA Tourism board, she said.
De Lille said major sponsorship deals, such as the mooted Tottenham partnership, should be transparent in order for the government to be accountable to the South African public.