Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille has dissolved the South African Tourism Board in terms of section16(3)(a) of the Tourism Act.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Department of Tourism said the decision takes effect immediately.
Section16(3)(a) of the Act empowers the Minister to dissolve the board on good cause shown.
“The Minister has also decided to remove the members of the Board of South African Tourism in terms of sections 16(1) of the Act which states that a member of the Board must vacate office upon removal by the Minister.”
Additionally, the Minister informed members of the Board of her decision on Tuesday, 19 August 2025, following consideration of their written representations as to why the board should not be dissolved.
According to the department, the board failed to address “the important issue about the legality of the procedure followed by the Board when it convened a special Board meeting on 01 August 2025 at which the unlawful resolution was taken.”
According to legal advice to the Minister, the special Board meeting of 01 August 2025 was convened unlawfully.
Section 18(2) of the Act empowers only the Board Chairperson to convene a special board meeting.
“This exclusive power given to the Chairperson of the board is further confirmed by clause 9.1.2 of Board Charter which was adopted on 16 April 2024. As of 01 August 2025, the board had no Chairperson to lawfully convene a special board meeting following the resignation of Professor Gregory Davids the day before (31 July 2025), but this notwithstanding, the board elected to convene a special board meeting and in doing so, the board acted unlawfully and ultra vires its powers.”
De Lille had previously cautioned the board of the possible implications of failing to follow due process when convening special and ordinary meetings.
In a meeting with the Board on 4 July, followed by a letter to the board dated 13 July 2025, the Minister expressed her concerns about the board’s failure to follow governance procedures which undermines the integrity of the board and could render outcomes from such meetings procedurally invalid and unlawful.
“In response, by way of a letter dated 22 July 2025, the board assured the Minister that it has put in place interventions and these: ‘enhancements have and will ensure that all meetings are properly constituted, chaired, and documented,”‘ said the department.
The Board is a creature of statute created in terms of section 13 of the Act and as such, the Board derives its powers from the enabling statute that created it, the Act, read together with the Board Charter.
The department said the board, in the exercise of its powers, must always be guided by the principle of legality which is part of the rule of law as set out in section 1(c) of the Constitution of South Africa.
Appointment of a new board
Meanwhile, the Minister will start the process to appoint a new board.
“The Minister shall, in terms of section 13(3) of the Act, initiate the process to appoint a new Board and will invite nominations of eligible persons in due course. In the interim, the Minister shall, in terms of section 16(3) of the Act, appoint one or more persons to manage the affairs of the board until the new board is appointed.”
Continuity
The department further added that these developments will not derail ongoing programmes.
“The Minister assures South Africans and the tourism sector that these developments will not derail the ongoing programmes including SA Tourism’s collaboration with the Tourism Business Council of South Africa [TBCSA], to deliver a successful G20 summit.”
On Tuesday, the Minister communicated her commitment to the TBCSA and other industry stakeholders to lead the implementation of the Tourism Growth Partnership Plan.
“Furthermore, in consultation with the tourism sector, the Minister is finalising plans for the inaugural Tourism Investment Summit where bankable infrastructure projects from the public and private sectors will be presented before local and international investors.”
The investment summit which will take place on 10 September 2025 in Cape Town, Western Cape, will be attended by various Tourism Ministers from G20 member states and delegates from the World Travel and Trade Council.
The Government of National Unity’s 3 key priorities continue to inform the Tourism Department and the Ministry’s programmes and interventions. These priorities are: drive inclusive growth and job creation; reduce poverty and tackle the high cost of living; and build a capable, ethical and developmental state.
Tourism Month
The country will mark Tourism Month in September with the department set to announce the winning digital solutions which have been developed by students from 18 higher education institutions, participating in the inaugural hackathon.
The Minister wishes to remind South Africans to visit the Sho’t left website to search for packages with discounts of up to 50%. Deals are available on www. shotleft.co.za.
