Parliament, Wednesday, 6 September 2023 – The Portfolio Committee on Tourism received an update from the Department of Tourism on the implementation of recommendations the committee tabled on the 2023 Vote 38 budget report yesterday. The committee also received a briefing from the South African Tourism on its performance on quarters three and four of the 2022/23 financial year. The committee raised concerns about underspending and overspending across various Programmes.
The Chairperson of the committee, Ms Tandi Mahambehlala, asked Minister Patricia de Lille who led the department to appraise the committee on, among other things, suspension of executive members of the South African Tourism (SAT) by the SAT Board, announcement by Minister de Lille about the issue of Trevor Noah that will cost South Africans R33 million for a five minutes promotional video advert and to report on Ms Kholeka Zama who the committee found to have committed perjury.
Although Minister de Lille, presented the update to the committee on the implementation of the recommendations, she did not cover all the relevant issues, but mainly focused on the appointment of the South African Tourism Board. The committee decried delays in the envisaged finalisation of the appointment of the new Board in October as the call for nominations closed in June 2023.
The Committee insisted that the current three-member Board was going against its recommendation to advertise for the executive positions of SAT as it made a clear recommendation that should be done by the incoming Board.
Ms Mahamebhlala welcomed the report about the non-merger of Brand SA and the South African Tourism under Tourism South Africa. She insisted, however, that Brand SA and SAT should be accountable to Tourism South Africa. She told the SAT’s CEO that tourism is the pillar of the South African economy and that it contributes a significant percentage towards the gross domestic product (GDP).
The committee still requires a report from Minister de Lille on Ms Kholeka Zama who the committee has found to have committed perjury. The committee insisted that Ms Zama should not be part of its meetings until the Minister has finalised her investigation. Ms Mahambehlala alluded that she was going to write to the Speaker of the National Assembly and the Leader of the Government Business about the three people who are taking care of the affairs of South African Tourism based on the independent legal opinion.
The committee is going to invite the entity that appointed an interim Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to clarify issues around her reappointment. SAT Board was also going against the recommendation of the committee on the appointment of the Interim CFO and advertising for the CFO and the Chief Executive Officer. The committee insisted on appointing permanent executives by the new Board and for the entity to stop using acting executives. On the nonexistence of legislation enforcing grading of hotels, the committee will initiate a process of the creation of legislation forcing grading of hotels.
The Minister clarified that the R33 million was a contribution from the Tourism business Council of Southern Africa. However, Ms Mahambehlala likened the R33 million 5 minutes video promo by Trevor Noah to the recent controversial Tottenham Hotspur marketing strategy and called on the Entity to stop it. She warned the South African Tourism that the TOMSA levies contributed by TBCSA to the entity should not be used as a slush fund to commit financial maleficence.
The committee discovered that there was no consultation with the Minister to Siya Kolisi for the promotion on international platforms, although the contract is not fraudulent. Ms Mahambehlala impressed on the Minister de Lille to consider elevating Safari Tourism as this was a lesson from the recent committee international benchmarking study tour.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON TOURISM, MS TANDI MAHAMBEHLALA.
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