DA lodges complaint against De Lille over ‘unlawful’ dissolution of SA Tourism board

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has lodged a formal complaint with the Public Protector against Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille, accusing her of unlawfully dissolving the South African Tourism (SA Tourism) board and interfering in governance processes meant to ensure accountability.

The DA spokesperson on tourism, Haseena Ismail, on Tuesday said that the complaint calls for a full investigation into whether De Lille acted improperly, unfairly, or unlawfully when she disbanded the board in August.

According to Ismail, the board had acted within its legal mandate when it suspended SA Tourism CEO Nombulelo Guliwe in August over allegations of financial misconduct.

These allegations included a R4.1 million prepayment to a service provider for work that investigators say was never completed. The company involved has denied any wrongdoing.

Rather than allowing the board’s disciplinary process to proceed, the DA alleges that De Lille intervened and dissolved the board, initially citing procedural irregularities and later providing a different justification.

The opposition party argues that this inconsistency “raises serious questions about fairness, transparency, and accountability.”

“This shift in reasoning raises serious questions about fairness, transparency, and accountability in her conduct. By targeting the board, Minister De Lille appears to have acted to protect the CEO rather than the public interest,” Ismail said in a statement.

Ismail added that former board members told Parliament that the Minister ignored warnings, interfered in Auditor-General investigations, and delayed action against the CEO implicated in the financial irregularities.

Former board members have insisted that De Lille’s claim that the board held an “irregular” meeting on 1 August was factually incorrect.

“We wish to categorically state that there was no meeting of the board that was held on 1 August 2025. Therefore, the grounds on which the Minister has relied to dissolve the board are factually inaccurate,” they said.

The dissolved board — which included Judi Nwokedi, Miller Matola, Ikaneng Pilane, Maija de Rijk-Uys, Tumelo Selikane, Ayanda Mazibuko, Jonathan Gadiah, Rachel Nxele, and Lawson Naidoo — maintains that it was fulfilling its oversight responsibilities amid growing concerns about procurement irregularities and governance lapses at SA Tourism.

De Lille, however, has thus far defended her decision, arguing that the board acted unlawfully and overstepped its powers by suspending Guliwe without following proper procedures after the resignation of its chairperson, Professor Gregory Davids.

De Lille has since appointed a new interim panel of six individuals to oversee operations of the SA Tourism until a new board of directors is appointed, while Darryl Erasmus was appointed as acting CEO.

The DA contends that De Lille’s actions amounted to an abuse of power, undermining confidence in public institutions and the principle of accountability.

The party has also accused the Minister of failing to respond to its Promotion of Access to Information Act request for a full record of her decision, which it says is a violation of the 30-day response period required by law.

“We will continue to use all available legal avenues, including the Public Protector, to ensure that the truth comes to light and that those responsible are held accountable,” Ismail said.

Meanwhile, the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) last month pledged to continue working with the SA Tourism despite ongoing legal wrangles over the dissolution of its board.

This commitment follows the Tourism Business Council of South Africa’s (TBCSA) decision to withhold R500 million in Tourism Levy South Africa (TOMSA) funds.

TOMSA is a voluntary 1% levy charged on certain tourism services and paid by tourists through participating businesses to support South Africa’s global destination marketing.

Administered by the TBCSA, the levy is handed over to SA Tourism - the official national tourism marketing and research agency of the South African government - to fund its domestic and international campaigns.

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