SA Tourism COO Darryl Erasmus has been appointed Acting CEO of the entity amid ongoing controversy surrounding the dissolution of the former Board by Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille.
De Lille’s spokesperson Aldrin Sampear said Erasmus was confirmed as Acting CEO after the recommendation was made by the interim Board.
His appointment follows the suspension of former CEO Nombulelo Guliwe by members of the former Board. The Board was subsequently dissolved by De Lille who maintains that the decision was made in contravention of the Tourism Act and Board Charter.
Members of the disbanded Board are taking legal action against De Lille in the North Gauteng High Court, calling for her decision to be declared unlawful, that it be set aside and that the former Board is reinstated. The case is set to be heard on October 14.
In her responding affidavit, De Lille said she will not comment on the allegations until supporting documentary evidence is submitted. The documents requested include, among others, Auditor-General findings of material irregularities linked to Guliwe, agendas and meeting minutes associated with the decision to suspend Guliwe and copies of grievances laid against the former CEO by former employees.
De Lille decried the legal action as an abuse of process.
“I respectfully submit that the final and interim relief sought by applicants is not inherently urgent but clearly an abuse of the process. Wherefore this Court should strike the matter from the urgent roll with an appropriate costs order against applicants befitting their abusive conduct in this matter.”
She claimed the former Board has subjected her to a “trial by media” prior to filing the court papers.
“Applicants in this matter did not regard the matter as urgent but instead embarked on a “trial by media” attempt to coerce me into reversing my executive decision made on August 19,” said De Lille.
She described her appearance in Parliament on September 2 – when she was grilled by members of the Portfolio Committee on Tourism – as further attempts to attain the same result. “In short, applicants therefore selected different forums to get me to reverse my executive decision instead of approaching this Court, which is the only forum lawfully entitled to order me to do so.”
De Lille cited media statements criticising her actions – issued by the TBCSA, SATSA and the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse and widely published – as proof of the trial-by-media attempt.
She further claimed that the interim SA Tourism Board appointed on August 25 had “in all earnest commenced with performing its functions”, including the appointment of Erasmus.
“There is only progress to be noted from the functions of the interim SA Tourism Board, which I submit should continue uninterruptedly until the process of appointing a new Board has been finalised. To unscramble the egg at this stage will cause a serious disturbance within the SA Tourism Board,” she said, adding that an advert for nominations of new permanent Board members will likely be published prior to the October 14 hearing.
