Members of the dissolved Board of SA Tourism have instituted legal action against Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille, claiming her decision was unlawful and they are calling for the Board’s reinstatement.
Former Board member Lawson Naidoo confirmed an urgent application was filed in the Gauteng High Court on the evening of September 3, contesting De Lille’s actions in dissolving the Board and appointing an interim governance structure.
“We have approached the court to declare the Minister’s decision unlawful, to set it aside immediately and to reinstate us,” said Naidoo, stating the applicants are hoping for an urgent hearing.
De Lille has stated that her decision to remove the Board was based on the alleged convening of an August 1 special meeting when a decision was taken to suspend SA Tourism CEO Nombulelo Guliwe.
De Lille claims the meeting was unlawful as the Board was without a Chairperson following the resignation of Gregory Davids on July 31. The dissolved Board members have asserted that no such meeting took place and that Guliwe was lawfully suspended through the unanimous adoption of a digital round robin resolution.
“We are very confident that the legal ground on which we stand, which is that the Minister’s decision to dissolve the Board, premised only on the fact that there was an alleged meeting, is incorrect, unlawful and invalid,” said Naidoo.
The court application adds to calls from leading industry associations such as SATSA and the TBCSA for the dissolved Board to be reinstated.
Parliament awaits legal advice
Following a marathon grilling of De Lille in Parliament on September 2, the Portfolio Committee on Tourism said it awaits legal advice on the Board dissolution. De Lille’s failure to appoint a Deputy Chairperson alongside Davids in September 2024 has also been flagged as a potential contravention of the Tourism Act. In Parliament, De Lille said “factions” within the Board had prevented her from making the appointment – a claim several former Board members firmly denied.
“The Minister crippled this Board with her inaction and I do not accept that her reason was ‘factions’. We do not know of those factions,” said a member of the dissolved Board, Ayanda Mazibuko.
De Lille came under further fire in Parliament for her dismissal of former SA Tourism Board Chairperson Makhosazana Khanyile and Deputy Chairperson Lizelle Haskins who were in their positions between February and September 2024.
The pair allege they were removed after initiating steps to end Guliwe’s contract due to concerns about incompetence.
Khanyile and Haskins are pursuing a defamation case against De Lille for statements linked to her claims that the pair were dismissed for convening 54 Board meetings during their tenure, allegedly for personal financial gain.
