US EditionDe Lille Accused of ‘Sacrificing Good Governance’ After Dissolving Board ‘to Protect Suspended CEO’
Tourism Minister de Lille dissolved the board after it unlawfully convened a special meeting without a chairperson, violating the Tourism Act and Board Charter, despite prior warnings.
- On Tuesday, Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille dissolved the South African Tourism Board and removed all current Board members under section 16 after reviewing their written representations.
- Legal advice found the August 1 special meeting unlawful, as the Board had no chairperson after Professor Gregory Davids resigned on July 31, and only the Chairperson may convene meetings under Tourism Act section 18.
- Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse reacted strongly, saying it was `outraged` and that the SA Tourism Board was addressing serious governance concerns, including irregular financial conduct.
- The Minister will appoint one or more individuals to manage SA Tourism’s affairs as permitted by Tourism Act section 16 and initiate the new Board appointment process under section 13.
- Next month the inaugural Tourism Investment Summit will be held on September 10 in Cape Town, showcasing projects to investors and attended by G20 tourism ministers and World Travel and Trade Council delegates; the Department will unveil digital innovation winners from 18 higher education institutions.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Patricia de Lille dissolves board of SA Tourism
South Africa’s Minister of Tourism, Patricia de Lille, has dissolved the board of South African Tourism (SA Tourism) with immediate effect, citing unlawful conduct and governance failures linked to the recent suspension of the entity’s CEO, Nombulelo Guliwe. This bold move follows the board’s controversial resolution on 1 August 2025 to place Guliwe on precautionary suspension – a decision De Lille has ruled as procedurally invalid and ultra vir…
De Lille accused of “gross political interference” over SA Tourism board dissolution
The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) has slammed Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille’s decision to dissolve the South African Tourism (SAT) board, describing it as “gross political interference” and an “assault on governance.” De Lille announced her decision on Wednesday. OUTA argues that the board was acting within its mandate when it moved to suspend SA Tourism CEO Nombulelo Guliwe following governance concerns raised by the Auditor-Ge…
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