By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Board of South African Tourism (SA Tourism) decision to place CEO Nombulelo Guliwe on precautionary suspension could hinder efforts to revive the country’s tourism sector.
SA Tourism is the national tourism agency responsible for the marketing of South Africa as a preferred tourist destination.
Fullview investigation shows the board might have acted unlawful to place the CEO on precutionary suspension.
The SA Tourism Board initiated a recruitment process in July 2023 to appoint a CEO guided by the provisions of the Tourism Act. The position was advertised from 17 September 2023 until 1 October 2023.
Following the assessments, the SA Tourism board identified Guliwe as the preferred candidate.
Minister Patricia de Lille took the recommendation to Cabinet for concurrence for Guliwe’s appointment as CEO to ensure that SA Tourism’s executive leadership is strengthened by appointing a suitably qualified CEO to lead the entity to achieve its mandate as prescribed in the Tourism Act of 2014.
Guliwe, an experienced finance professional with extensive experience in operations and strategic financial management, accounting and auditing, is a chartered accountant and has a Bachelor of Commerce and Honours Degree.
Fullview investigation shows that there was an independent review of the board’s scoring and that is how Guliwe was appointed.
Guliwe was placed on precautionary suspension on 13 August for initiating steps to remove two SAT executives without following fair labour practices or consulting the board, according to the board member Lawson Naidoo.
Two executives are the company’s secretary and Chief Marketing Officer. Fullview learnt that South African Tourism does not have position called Company Secretary, the position in the approved organogram is Head : GRC Head and Company Secretary reporting to the CEO.
However Fullview is in a possession of a letter issued to one of the executives to furnish the reasons why she should not be suspended.
- Your client was provided with a written notice inviting her to attend a meeting with her line manager, the Chief Executive Officer, Ms Nombulelo Guliwe, as our client was considering suspending her and she was invited to make representation should she wish on why she should not be suspended. Shortly after receiving this notice, your client attempted to leave the premises with her work-issued laptop, without informing anyone of her intention to do so.
- However, SAT’s security personnel managed to stop her from leaving.
- Upon your client’s return to the premises on the same day, the laptop was returned to her. She was again afforded the opportunity to make oral representations. Your client declined to do so, asserting that she does not report to Ms Guliwe and instead reports to the SAT Board. She further requested an opportunity to consult with her legal representative.
- After being afforded an opportunity to consult with her legal representatives, your client indicated that she would not participate in the process and advised that her attorneys would address a letter to Ms Guliwe. It is assumed that your correspondence dated 31 July 2025 constitutes the letter referred to.
The board also alleged misconduct linked to fruitless and wasteful expenditure of R4.18 million (US$235 000) incurred in 2021 when Guliwe was CFO. Fullview obtained a document on the questionable transaction that the amount was recovered and not a fruitless expediture as stated by the Auditor General (AG).
The letter from WWP Group shared by an insider close to the Board states : For the avoidance of doubt, we would like to state the following on record:
While we acknowledge that the amount of R4,186,749.94 was deducted by SA Tourism in November 2024 and has therefore already been recovered in full. However, we would like to highlight that although the amount was withheld, WWP Group was not consulted or formally notified before this action was taken. This occurred despite our prior submission of comprehensive supporting documentation and proof of execution (POE), we categorically reject the classification of this expenditure as fruitless and wasteful as per the AGSA finding.
We would like to emphasize that our continued request for full transparency and access to the relevant investigative records is made in good faith and with the shared objective of removing the classification of “fruitless and wasteful expenditure” from this transaction.
This finding, if left unaddressed, casts an unnecessary shadow over both our organisations. It is therefore in the best interest of SA Tourism and WWP Group alike that this matter is conclusively resolved through a factual and cooperative process that upholds the integrity of both parties.
We also in possession of the internal audit report of R4.1 million and it doesn’t implicate the CEO. It is therefore a concern that the are different versions of a report for one transaction which were later versions conveniently changed to implicate the CEO. What is the motive as this surely goes against ethical internal audit standards as the appears to be at least 3 versions of the same report, from the same source.
It is therefore concerning that prior its dissolution the Board of South African Tourism who based on information. I have seen are in possession of this information, did not make any effort to correct the information. The motive is questionable.
The minister has since dissolved the board on August 20 following suspension of the CEO.
During our investigation it emerged that Naidoo was signing letters of the board ignoring the gazetted board chair, who has resigned amid strained relationship with other board members.
Fullview is also in possession of few letters, which shows already strained relationship between the board and the CEO.
Fullview reached out to Naidoo, he says the have acted in the prescripts of the law and the board sought legal advice on the appropriate legal route to take and needed the consent of De Lille – but did not get it.
In early 2023, the Tottenham Hotspur FC marketing proposal and other matters led to the mass resignation of previous board members.
Fullview understands prior to the dissolution on 20 August 2025 the board was sitting on a number of reports which they have ignored including the SIU report for the Tottenham Hotspur FC marketing proposal.
The recently dissolved board ignored critical SIU recommendations. This is similar to the Board led by Makhosazana Khanyile who also failed to implement SIU recommendations.
Fullview is in possession of at least 3 of 6 reports from SIU. This report shows total breach of fiduciary duty by the Board led by Makhosazana and the recently dissolved Board.
SA Tourism was recently plunged into a tender scandal after allegations of irregularities in the awarding of a R100 million tender to Pomme Express, a company reported to have failed to show proof of experience and alleged to have provided false and misleading information in its bid to organise Meetings Africa 2025 and Africa’s Travel Indaba 2025.
Fullview understands there was no tender for R100 million as quoted in the media reports, on 6 July 2025 and this narrative was corrected in December 2024 but in an attempt to discredit the work of SA Tourism it continues.
Source:SA Tourism.
SA Tourism achieved 98% of its planned targets in a recent first quarter by successfully delivering 48 out of 49 planned targets.