Simon Nare
Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille has removed the South African Tourism Board chairperson and deputy chairperson over irregular meetings that have so far cost almost R1 million.
The minister said in a press statement on Tuesday that she had instructed chairperson Makhosazana Khanyile and her deputy, Advocate Lizelle Dominique Jordaan, to vacate their positions with immediate effect and become ordinary board members.
De Lille said she has appointed Dr Gregory Davids as the new chairperson.
The minister said the board meetings have so far in this financial year cost nearly R900,000 of the budgeted R1.44 million.
“In recent months I had become concerned with the number of meetings the board held and I had written to the SAT Board chairperson asking for reasons why an excessive amount of meetings were held (27 meetings) in the first quarter of 2024 (between March and June 2024).
“For this financial year, so far, close to R900,000 of the R1.44million has been accrued by the SAT Board for 54 meetings from March and up until the first week of September 2024,” she said.
The minister said even at the recent Tourism Portfolio Committee meeting in Parliament, concerns were raised around the excessive amount of board meetings held so far this year.
De Lille said she had written to the board to get an understanding of why there were so many meetings and there had not been a satisfactory explanation.
“I had requested this information as these meetings have a direct impact on budget allocation and because the meeting frequencies were excessive. The SAT Board chairperson and deputy chairperson did not respond to me on these questions in their reply,” she revealed in the statement.
INSIDE POLITICS
