R1bn Spurs sponsorship deal: SA Tourism confirms three board members’ resignations

Three board members from the SA Tourism board have resigned amid the outrage from South Africans over the controversial R1 billion sponsorship proposal of English Premier League football club Tottenham Hotspurs.

R1bn Tottenham Hotspur sponsorship

SA Tourism board chairperson Dr Aubrey Mhlongo, in a statement on Saturday, announced that Enver Duminy, Ravi Nadasen, and Rosemary Anderson had resigned from the board with immediate effect.

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Mhlongo did not provide any reasons for the trio’s sudden departure from the SA Tourism board. He thanked them for their contribution to the agency.

“As the board, we extend our sincere gratitude to Mr Duminy, Mr Nadasen and Ms Anderson for their invaluable contribution to the South African Tourism board during their tenure and we wish them well in their future endeavours.

“We would like to thank these members for their contribution and oversight of the entity during their time while serving on the board,” said Mhlongo.

Mhlongo especially recognised Duminy and Nadasen, as they were serving their third term on the SA Tourism board.

Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu accepted the resignations of the three board members and thanked them for their service.

She further indicated that the process of appointing suitable replacements was underway.

SA Tourism defends Spurs sponsorship

SA Tourism has been at the receiving end of criticism after announcing on Thursday that it was exploring a partnership with Tottenham Hotspurs FC, among other projects, to achieve 21 million international tourist arrivals by 2030. 

The tourism agency hit back at criticism of its planned sponsorship of the football club, saying it is not as tone-deaf as South Africans have accused it of being.

READ: SA Tourism defends R1bn Spurs sponsorship, says it can get R88bn back

Acting chief executive officer for the agency, Themba Khumalo, said they were expecting to see a good return on that investment – more than 80 times its value – over a three-year period.

Khumalo didn’t detail how the return on investment would total R88 billion.

He explained that government had set SA Tourism a goal of achieving 21 million international tourist arrivals by 2030.

Spur’s media leak – ‘un-African’

At the same time, Khumalo vowed to deal with the individual who “maliciously prematurely leaked confidential documents” to the media.

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He accused the person or people who leaked the information of being “un-South African” and someone who should “be isolated”.

He said “the intent of the leak was not to aid economic recovery of the country.”

Spurs deal not ‘justified’

Meanwhile, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya says the Presidency has not been briefed on SA Tourism’s planned sponsorship of Tottenham Hotspurs.

There is also no plan to include an announcement on this deal in the State of the Nation Address, said Magwenya.

“Even though we have not been briefed, we do not think that spending such an amount in this manner will be justifiable.”

Compiled by  Thapelo Lekabe. Additional reporting by Reitumetse Makwea and Devina Haripersad.

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