Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille’s decision to dissolve the Board of South African Tourism (SAT) with immediate effect has been met with mixed reactions and raised serious concerns from the country’s leading tourism industry body.
The move, which was announced within the last 24 hours, follows a period of significant internal conflict at the tourism entity. This included the board’s recent decision to institute a disciplinary process against the organization’s CEO.
At the center of the controversy is a R4.1 million pre-payment made to a service provider for work that investigators allege was never completed.
In an interview Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa, CEO of the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA), expressed deep concern over the minister’s decision, stating it contributes to years of damaging instability within the country’s key destination marketing organization.
Tshivhengwa revealed that the TBCSA had engaged with both the minister and the now-dissolved board in a bid to mediate the situation. He described the ousted board as “progressive” and comprised of necessary industry expertise, arguing that its dissolution was an unjustified overreaction.
“Well, we’ve been having these ructions for quite a number of years now. The institution has not been stable probably for the past four or five years,” Tshivhengwa stated. “We want a functioning institution that will deliver on the mandate… What is happening now doesn’t inspire confidence and the industry is worried.”
The minister’s office has cited concerns over the lawfulness and rationality of the board’s recent decisions, including the alleged convening of a meeting on August 1st—a claim board members have publicly denied.
However, Tshivhengwa questioned the severity of the response. “Whatever dispute is there between the board and the minister does not warrant the dissolution of the board from what we have been told,” he said. “It warrants a meeting to find each other.”
When asked if the recent upheaval posed a genuine threat to the stability of the multi-billion rand tourism sector, Tshivhengwa emphasized the critical need for strong leadership.
“When you don’t have a CEO, you don’t have a board, it’s directionless at the moment because there’s no leadership,” he explained. “We need to show up in the world positively and with confidence… at the moment, whatever is going on, the ups and downs, the suspension, the dissolution of the board, doesn’t serve the industry.”
While some critics have labelled the minister’s move as “political interference,” the TBCSA CEO stated his organization avoids politics and is focused solely on ensuring a functional SAT. He called for a full probe to understand the root causes of the repeated instability to prevent it from happening again.
The dissolution leaves South African Tourism without a board or a CEO, creating a significant leadership vacuum at a time when the industry is crucial for economic growth and job creation. The Minister’s office has not yet announced an interim board or the process for appointing new members.