SA Tourism CEO Nombulelo Guliwe remains suspended amid board upheaval
Image: Supplied
The Department of Tourism has announced that the South African Tourism (SA Tourism) CEO, Nombulelo Guliwe, will remain suspended despite the minister ruling that the board's decision was unlawful.
This decision comes as the Minister of Tourism, Patricia de Lille, dissolved the board of directors of SA Tourism after it failed to convince her as to why it should remain in office following its decision to suspend Guliwe for misconduct.
"The precautionary suspension of the SA Tourism CEO remains in effect," De Lille's spokesperson, Aldrin Sampear, told Business Report on Wednesday.
"The minister will meet with the new board members who will be appointed in the interim, to discuss the appointment of an acting CEO at SA Tourism."
De Lille had given the nine-member board until Thursday night last week to explain why it should not be dissolved because, in its current form, it was not properly constituted to take such a resolution since it had no chairperson following the resignation of Professor Gregory Davids last month.
The remaining members of the SA Tourism board were Judi Nwokedi, Miller Matola, Ikaneng Pilane, Maija de Rijk-Uys, Tumelo Selikane, Ayanda Mazibuko, Jonathan Gadiah, Lawson Naidoo and Rachel Nxele.
In a letter addressed to individual board members on Tuesday night and seen by Business Report, De Lille cited legal grounds for her decision to remove directors and dissolve the board.
'I have considered your written representations and have taken a decision to remove you from the Board of South African Tourism in terms of section 16(1) of the Tourism Act No.3 of 2014 effective immediately,' De Lille wrote.
'As a consequence of this, I have also taken a decision to dissolve the board effective immediately in terms of section 16(3) of the Act.'
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Advertisement
Next
Stay
Close ✕
Ad loading
In a statement on Wednesday, she also asserted that the board acted unlawfully and overstepped its powers by taking the resolution to suspend Guliwe without following established protocols.
"According to legal advice to the Minister, the special board meeting of 01 August 2025 was convened unlawfully. Section 18(2) of the Act empowers only the board chairperson to convene a special board meeting," read the statement.
"This exclusive power given to the chairperson of the board is further confirmed by clause 9.1.2 of 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."
Guliwe, a qualified Chartered Accountant, was appointed to the CEO position for a five-year period in February 2024 following a comprehensive recruitment process.
SA Tourism was recently plunged into a tender scandal after allegations of irregularities in the awarding of a R100 million tender to Pomme Express, a company reported to have failed to show proof of experience and alleged to have provided false and misleading information in its bid to organise Meetings Africa 2025 and Africa's Travel Indaba 2025.
De Lille said she was in the process of filling the vacant positions of the board and will be embarking on the process to appoint an interim structure as required by law.
"The Minister shall, in terms of section 13(3) of the Act, initiate the process to appoint a new Board and will 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."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The South African
4 hours ago
- The South African
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 vires (beyond their legal powers). SA Tourism has recently been embroiled in scandal after allegations surfaced around a R100 million tender irregularly awarded to Pomme Express, a company accused of lacking credentials and providing misleading information to secure contracts for Meetings Africa 2025 and Africa's Travel Indaba 2025. The board's decision to suspend Guliwe – appointed in February 2024 following a rigorous recruitment process – came just days after these allegations gained public traction. In a formal letter sent to all board members on Tuesday night, De Lille cited key legal failings: The board lacked a chairperson (after Prof. Gregory Davids' resignation) and was not lawfully constituted to pass such a resolution. (after Prof. Gregory Davids' resignation) and was to pass such a resolution. The special board meeting where Guliwe was suspended was not properly convened in line with Section 18(2) and 18(3) of the Tourism Act No. 3 of 2014 . where Guliwe was suspended was not properly convened in line with of the . Only a board chairperson is legally empowered to call a special meeting, and no clarity was provided on who called the 1 August meeting. is legally empowered to call a special meeting, and no clarity was provided on who called the 1 August meeting. The board, created under Section 13 of the Tourism Act, failed to operate within its statutory limits and violated the principle of legality under the Constitution. 'The board acted prematurely, unlawfully and outside the scope of its powers,' said De Lille, confirming her decision under Section 16(1) and 16(3) of the Tourism Act. The now-dissolved board included: Judi Nwokedi Miller Matola Ikaneng Pilane Maija de Rijk-Uys Tumelo Selikane Ayanda Mazibuko Jonathan Gadiah Lawson Naidoo Rachel Nxele The Institute of Directors in South Africa (IoDSA) has expressed concern, noting the governance implications of De Lille's move. 'It is concerning if boards fear that fulfilling their duties could lead to their own dissolution,' said IoDSA CEO Parmi Natesan, who added that King IV guidelines affirm a board's right to appoint and, if necessary, suspend or remove a CEO – if done lawfully . Natesan emphasised that board charters do not override legislative statutes, but warned that political intervention could undermine effective governance if not handled carefully. De Lille confirmed that she will: Appoint an interim structure in accordance with Section 16(3)(b) of the Act in accordance with Section 16(3)(b) of the Act Initiate a new board recruitment process under Section 12(2) Meanwhile, the suspended CEO, Guliwe, remains in limbo as investigations into the tender scandal and board actions continue. This saga marks a major governance shakeup in a critical sector tasked with reviving tourism in the wake of economic downturn. Whether De Lille's decision is seen as accountability in action – or ministerial overreach – remains to be tested in both public opinion and legal forums. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
TimesLIVE
5 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
SA Tourism board dissolution by Patricia de Lille sparks outrage from Outa
Tourism minister Patricia de Lille has dissolved the SA Tourism Board with immediate effect, accusing them of unlawfully convening a special meeting. The Sunday Times reported at the weekend that De Lille and the board had locked horns over the board's decision to institute disciplinary action against the entity's now-suspended CEO. This was over a R4.1m prepayment to a service provider for work that investigators say was never done, a charge the company vehemently denies. De Lille said in a statement on Wednesday that she had been given legal advice that only the board chairperson could convene a special board meeting, meaning a meeting held on August 1 was irregular as it came after the resignation of Prof Gregory Davids the day before. Her office said she had previously cautioned the board of the possible implications of failing to follow due process when convening special and ordinary meetings, which 'could render outcomes from such meetings procedurally invalid and unlawful'. The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) has called on De Lille to reverse her decision, denouncing it as political interference which 'represents a direct assault on governance and accountability within a state entity'. Outa said: 'The SAT 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. 'We believe the minister did not even take the time to formally meet the board and, therefore, she has not given the process sufficient input and thought before taking this drastic action of dismissing the entire board. As far as Outa is concerned, the fact that the board does not have a chairperson — which incidentally is the minister's fault — doesn't make the board's decision unlawful in taking the necessary action that it did. We believe the board was quorate and unanimous in how it arrived at the decision to suspend the CEO, pending a disciplinary inquiry into her conduct.' De Lille's decision was disgraceful, said Outa CEO Wayne Duvenage. 'Outa has witnessed many boards of state entities that have fallen short of their oversight and fiduciary duties, which gives rise to maladministration and corruption in these entities. Thus, when we witness a state entity board that is acting with integrity and diligence, we need to celebrate and support them. What infuriates us is when a minister such as De Lille steps in to dismantle it. Such political interference and irrational behaviour undermines accountability, emboldens misconduct, and signals to all state entities that political protection trumps governance.'
Eyewitness News
16 hours ago
- Eyewitness News
Patricia de Lille dissolves SA Tourism board with immediate effect
JOHANNESBURG - Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille has dissolved the SA Tourism board with immediate effect. The ministry made the announcement on Wednesday afternoon. The decision comes after the body held a special meeting earlier this month, where an unlawful resolution was reportedly taken. ALSO READ: After appointing new COO, SA Tourism says on track to resolve governance issues In a statement, the Tourism Ministry said members of the SA Tourism board were informed of the minister's decision on Tuesday. De Lille had asked board members to make written representations on why the board should not be dissolved. She said the board failed to address the legality of the board meeting earlier in the month. The Ministry said the Tourism Act empowers the minister to dissolve the board on good cause shown. De Lille will initiate the process of appointing a new board and will invite nominations of eligible persons.
