By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Minister of Tourism Patricia De Lille has appointed a team comprising of six individuals to manage the affairs of the South African Tourism (SAT) until the appointment of the new board is finalised.
De Lille this week dissolved the SA Tourism Board for putting the CEO, Nombulelo Guliwe, on precautionary suspension for misconduct.
She said the board acted unlawfully and overstepped its powers by taking the resolution to suspend Guliwe without following established protocols by convening a board meeting and taking resolutions on 1 August when it had no chairperson following the resignation of Professor Gregory Davids last month.
However former SAT board member Lawson Naidoo says the minister’s reasons are factually inaccurate and therefore invalid. We are looking at what steps to take next, and this may involve a court challenge.”
The minister took issue with the board’s decision – made in the absence of a new chair – to place Guliwe on precautionary suspension on 13 August for initiating steps to remove two SAT executives without following fair labour practices or consulting the board.
This follows a qualified audit opinion by the Auditor-General in 2024 over a material irregularity of R4.1 million, relating to a partial prepayment made to a service provider in 2021 when Guliwe was chief financial officer.
Naidoo says the previous SAT board ordered a forensic audit into the transaction, which was presented to the new board in April 2025.
Among its key findings was that consequence management should be initiated against Guliwe for the material irregularity. The board sought legal advice on the appropriate legal route to take and needed the consent of De Lille – but did not get it.
There is speculation that the minister is protecting Guliwe from the consequences of the material irregularity cited by the Auditor-General. Earlier this month, Guliwe initiated steps to suspend the company secretary and chief marketing officer of SAT.
“In any suspension process, an employee must be given a fair opportunity to respond. They were given a couple of hours and then summarily suspended.
“We saw this as a breach of fair labour practice and a serious breach of governance, and this is why we placed the CEO under cautionary suspension, pending an investigation,” says Naidoo.
In a statement on Friday, Department said the newly appointed members bring a wealth of experience and a diverse set of expertise, which De Lille believes will ensure that the SA Tourism board remains steadfast in its mission to promote and enhance the country’s tourism sector.
“The above members possess collective knowledge, experience and qualifications relating to the function of the South African Tourism board. The Minister appreciates the commitment of the members to serve South African Tourism and wishes them well,” it said.
“In due course, the Minister will announce the process to appoint permanent members of the South African Tourism Board in terms of section 13(3) of the Tourism Act. The nominations will be opened to all eligible individuals.”
The new interim team composed of six individuals is as follows:
- Dr. Mzamo Masito (Chairperson);
- Ms. Kholeka Zama (Deputy Chairperson);
- Dr. Shakir Jeeva;
- Mr. Khomotso Brian Mosehla;
- Ms. Siobhan Leyden; and
- Dr. Shamilla Chettiar (Representative of the Department)
The term of office for the interim team is effective from, 22 August 2025.
Meanwhile, the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) – the umbrella organisation for business in the hospitality, travel, and tourism sector expressed its disappointment at the decision to dissolve the SAT board.
“In the last 24 hours, the TBCSA met with both the Minister of Tourism and the now-dissolved board. Following those engagements, our view was clear: the board had the right mix of expertise and leadership to help address instability within SAT,” says Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa, CEO of TBCSA.
The minister’s decision to dissolve it is therefore not aligned with the position we shared and raises serious concern within the sector,” adds Tshivhengwa.
He says that the SAT board had begun to bring stability and continuity at a time when this was most needed. “Industry stakeholders had confidence in its composition, and we had seen encouraging signs of progress in strengthening SAT’s credibility and focus.”