Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille has warned that she may dissolve the SA Tourism Board due to its decision to place CEO Nombulelo Guliwe on precautionary suspension. Her spokesperson, Aldrin Sampear , said De Lille has given the Board an opportunity to explain why it should not be dissolved and is currently reviewing the submissions.
At the centre of the dispute is alleged misconduct linked to fruitless and wasteful expenditure of R4.18 million incurred by Guliwe alongside two other former SA Tourism executives.
A forensic investigation, commissioned by the Board after the Auditor-General flagged the payment as a material irregularity in 2024, found that an advance payment to service provider WWP Group for Dubai Expo Dome activities on July 12, 2021 was made without contractual provision or clear justification. The investigation could also not confirm that SA Tourism received any value for the funds.