De Lille dissolves tourism board, accuses members of unlawfully convening meeting

Minister of Tourism Patricia de Lille.

Adrian de Kock/Fot24/Gallo Images/Getty Images

Minister Patricia de Lille dissolved the South African Tourism board after an unlawfully convened meeting on 1 August.De Lille plans to appoint interim management and initiate the process for forming a new board.OUTA criticised the decision,accusing De Lille of political interference and protecting SA Tourism management over governance concerns.Minister of Tourism Patricia de Lille has dissolved the South African Tourism board,with immediate effect,after they unlawfully convened a special board meeting earlier this month.

On Wednesday,De Lille’s spokesperson,Aldrin Sampear,said in a statement that the minister informed board members of her decision on 19 August,following consideration of their written representations as to why the board should not be dissolved.

He said,“In their written representations dated 14 August 2025,the board members failed to address the important issue about the legality of the procedure followed by the board when it convened a special board meeting on 01 August 2025 at which the unlawful resolution was taken.”

Sampear said,according to the minister’s legal advice,the special board meeting of 1 August was convened unlawfully.

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He explained,“Section 18(2) of the [Tourism] Act empowers only the board chairperson to convene a special board meeting. This exclusive power given to the chairperson of the board is further confirmed by clause 9.1.2 of the Board Charter,which was adopted on 16 April 2024.

As of 01 August 2025,the board had no chairperson to lawfully convene a special board meeting following the resignation of Professor Gregory Davids the day before (31 July 2025),but this notwithstanding,the board elected to convene a special board meeting and,in doing so,the board acted unlawfully and ultra vires its powers.

The City Press reported on Sunday that following several allegations of misconduct,which led to the suspension of SA Tourism chief executive Nombulelo Guliwe last week,De Lille threatened to dissolve the agency board.

De Lille reportedly wrote to the board last Thursday,asking it to explain why it should not be dissolved.

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City Press understood that the agency board convened a meeting where it decided to suspend Guliwe following allegations that she had authorised a R4.1 million advance payment to a service provider for the failed Dubai Expo during the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the report,Guliwe was accused of making the upfront payment while she was SA Tourism’s chief financial officer.

READ | Patricia de Lille threatens to dissolve SA Tourism board

Sampear said De Lille had previously cautioned the board of the possible implications of failing to follow due process when convening special and ordinary meetings.

He said,“On 04 July 2025,in a meeting with the board,followed by a letter to the board dated 13 July 2025,the minister expressed her concerns about the board’s failure to follow governance procedures,which undermines the integrity of the board and could render outcomes from such meetings procedurally invalid and unlawful.

“In response,by way of a letter dated 22 July 2025,the board assured the minister that it has put in place interventions and these ‘enhancements have and will ensure that all meetings are properly constituted,chaired,and documented….’”

Sampear stated that the minister would initiate the process to appoint a new board and invite nominations of eligible persons in due course.

“In the interim,the minister shall,in terms of Section 16(3) of the act,appoint one or more persons to manage the affairs of the board until the new board is appointed.”

De Lille,he said,assured the nation and the sector that the developments would not derail the ongoing programmes of the department.

READ | SA Tourism tender irregularities and attempted cover-up exposed in court

Meanwhile,Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse CEO Wayne Duvenage condemned De Lille’s decision,labelling it political interference and calling for the minister to reverse her decision.

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Duvenage said government entities needed strong board oversight and leaders who demand good governance,“not those who undermine it”.

He said:

The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse is outraged by minister of Tourism Patricia de Lille’s decision to dissolve the South African Tourism (SAT) board. This action is nothing short of gross political interference and represents a direct assault on governance and accountability within a state entity.

He added that the board had acted within its mandate and in line with its fiduciary responsibilities by addressing serious governance concerns,including findings raised by the Auditor-General and a corroborating forensic investigation into irregular financial conduct.

“Instead of supporting her own competent board for holding executive management accountable,the minister has chosen to protect the SAT CEO by disbanding the very body tasked with oversight,” he said.

Furthermore,Duvenage called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to fire De Lille for conduct that was inconsistent with her constitutional mandate,which is to ensure effective oversight,not to obstruct it,he said.