By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The ousted members of the South African Tourism (SAT) Board have filed an urgent court application at the Pretoria High Court against Minister of Tourism Patricia De Lille.
The applicants are contesting De Lille’s decision to dissolve the board and appoint interim structure.
They asking the court to declare the Minister’s decisions of 19 and 22 August 2025 unlawful, unconstitutional and invalid, to reinstate the dissolved Board, and to affirm the provisions of the Tourism Act 3 of 2014.
In their filing, the applicants argue that the Minister’s actions undermine good governance, accountability, and the independence of statutory boards. They caution that the move threatens stability at South African Tourism at a time when the sector is critical to economic recovery.
Former Board member Lawson Naidoo confirmed an urgent application was filed in the Gauteng High Court on the evening of September 3.
“We have approached the court to declare the Minister’s decision unlawful, to set it aside immediately and to reinstate us,” said Naidoo.
De Lille has stated that her decision to remove the Board was based on the alleged convening of an August 1 special meeting when a decision was taken to suspend SA Tourism CEO Nombulelo Guliwe.
She came under further fire in Parliament, with the Portfolio Committee on Tourism saying it awaits legal advice on the Board dissolution.
De Lille’s failure to appoint a Deputy Chairperson alongside chairperson Gregory Davids in September 2024 has also been flagged as a potential contravention of the Tourism Act. In Parliament, De Lille said “factions” within the Board had prevented her from making the appointment – a claim several former Board members firmly denied.
Meanwhile former SA Tourism Board Chairperson Makhosazana Khanyile and Deputy Chairperson Lizelle Haskins are pursuing a defamation case against De Lille for statements linked to her claims that the pair were dismissed for convening 54 Board meetings during their tenure, allegedly for personal financial gain.
They were in their positions between February and September 2024. The pair allege they were removed after initiating steps to end Guliwe’s contract due to concerns about incompetence.