SA Tourism board trying to hunt down Tottenham deal whistleblower

The South African Tourism (SA Tourism) intends to find out who leaked the documents about the nearly R1 billion Tottenham Hotspur sponsorship deal.

The proposed deal with the English Premier League football team has been met with anger and backlash after details on the matter emerged last week.

This resulted in the resignation of three SA Tourism board members with immediate effect amid the outrage.

While SA Tourism has defended the deal claiming that it would get R88 million as return on investment over a three-year period, the government agency has been told to pull the plug.

Investigation

The agency has since confirmed that it has decided to probe who leaked the information of the deal to the media.

“The SA Tourism Board has deliberated and resolved that a forensic investigation on the leaking of the SA Tourism Board discussions be conducted,” the agency said in a statement on Wednesday.

The government agency said the deal had been “conditionally approved” and no final decision was made, but was leaked before the board could consult Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu, National Treasury and various stakeholders hence its decision to probe the matter.

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In addition, SA Tourism will also investigate its interim Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Johan van der Walt’s alleged ties to an agency billed to activate the Spur’s sponsorship.

The investigation comes after SA Tourism acting CEO Themba Khumalo seemingly threatened unspecified consequences for the person, or persons, who “maliciously” leaked details of the planned deal following a board meeting.

Khumalo accused the whistle-blower of possibly breaching conditions of employment.

SA Tourism has announced that it’s ordered a forensic investigation – but NOT into the Tottenham Hotspur deal.

Rather it’s channeling time, money and energy into investigating “the leaking of the SA Tourism Board discussions” about the deal.

So it can target a whistleblower. pic.twitter.com/99Di6ftwYe

— Karyn Maughan (@karynmaughan) February 8, 2023

Reprioritised funds

Meanwhile, Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Tourism wants the Spurs deal to be cancelled with immediate effect.

The committee met with the SA Tourism board and Sisulu on Tuesday and recommended that the R900 million for the deal be reprioritised.

It has also called for Van der Walt to resign over the possible conflict of interest.

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During the meeting, the committee disputed Sisulu’s claim that only President Cyril Ramaphosa could stop the deal from happening.

ANC MP Tandi Mahambehlala, who is the chairperson of the committee, also informed the minister that the committee had the right to put any project funded with Parliament’s monies on hold.

“Ms Mahambehlala made it categorically clear to Ms Sisulu that it is the executive that accounts to Parliament, not the other way round,” Mava Lukani, Parliament’s media officer, said in a statement on Wednesday.

‘No statistical basis’

According to Lukani, the committee further dismissed the suggestion that deal will deliver 21 million tourist arrivals in 2030, saying there was “no statistical basis” for this.

“Furthermore, there is no way that R1 billion of South Africa’s money can be used to pay for an international programme when poverty is deepening in South Africa.”

Sisulu, who was expected to cancel the deal, has maintained that she was unaware of the existence of the proposal.

She also told the committee that the deal could not exist without the permission of the National Treasury and the president “beyond a certain amount of money”.

Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya last week indicated that the Presidency did not think “spending so much money in the manner that is being suggested will be justified”.

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