Cape Town - Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Tourism is ‘’concerned’’ that two of the three recently appointed interim board members of SA Tourism (SAT) chose to skip a meeting despite the committee shifting to Durban to accommodate them.
The interim board members are in Durban for the Africa Travel Indaba.
Interim board member Kholeka Zama was the only member of the board at the meeting, which had been called to examine SA Tourism’s 2023/24 Annual Performance Plan.
Committee chairperson Thandi Mahambehlala was especially upset when she was informed that interim board chairperson Tim Harris and colleague Zwelibanzi Mntambo said they would meet the committee at another time, one that suited them.
Mahambehlala said all three should have been present at the meeting.
She said as board members they had an oversight role on SAT’s performance and to be accountable to the Department of Tourism and the portfolio committee.
“We are going to escalate matters relating to this entity to the Leader of Government Business through the Speaker’s office,” Mahambehlala said.
Meanwhile, committee member Manny de Freitas (DA) wants the newly-appointed SAT acting chief executive Nomasonto Ndlovu gone.
“Information provided to me indicates that a whistle-blower called the SAT hotline with claims that Ndlovu, on December 6 and 7, 2022, allegedly accepted a R100 000 bribe from an airline for business class flights, accommodation and World Cup tickets.
“Our understanding is that the SAT Interim Board members were aware of these allegations, yet, despite this, still appointed Ndlovu as SAT Acting CEO,” he said.
De Freitas said he would write to Tourism Minister Patricia De Lille to request Ndlovu’s suspension pending the outcome of investigations into the allegations against her.
Responding to the allegations, Harris said: “As incoming board members, we are awaiting a full briefing from the acting chief audit executive, including a report on the whistle-blower hotline.”
Last week, a row broke out between De Lille and the committee after De Lille’s appointment of Harris and Mntambo. The committee urged De Lille to ditch Harris and Mntambo, alleging that the two had questionable reputations.
De Lille told the committee it had not provided proof of their allegations and said it was her prerogative in terms of the Tourism Act to appoint people to manage the affairs of the board.
mwangi.githahu@inl.co.za