Why not investigate SA Tourism's CFO Johan van der Walt, asks Lindiwe Sisulu

sa tourism johan van der walt

Tourism minister Lindiwe Sisulu on Wednesday expressed concern about the decision of the SA Tourism board to pursue three resigned board members to account for the leaked discussion documents related to the agency’s sponsorship of English Premiership side Tottenham Hotspur.

The three, Enver Duminy, Ravi Nadasen and Rosemary Anderson, resigned with immediate effect last week shortly after the controversial sponsorship proposal came to the public's attention. 

Sisulu, however,  suggested that the board should be focused on suspending the CFO, Johan van der Walt, who allegedly brought ethical defects to the deal.

Probe into leak of documents around Tottenham Hotspur sponsorship

She said finding the whistle-blowers of the scandal was irrelevant. 

“The investigation of resigned board members is a ruse, whether they have leaked information or not. Their matter is not relevant to this case and is not worth wasting resources on. What must be investigated are all potential transgressors that have brought the image of SA Tourism into disrepute through deliberate deceptions. [This] includes hidden agencies that stood to benefit from this deal,” Sisulu's office said in a statement. 

The board had mentioned that it was not ignoring Van der Walt's alleged transgressions, but Sisulu’s office suggested that the focus was being diverted.

“In the meeting between minister Sisulu and the board a few days ago, the board made it very clear that the CFO had failed to declare his interests in three board meetings, concealing his special relationship with one of the companies involved in the deal,” read a statement from Sisulu’s office. “Subsequent to her meeting with the board, the minister ordered a fully fledged forensic investigation mainly on this serious conflict of interest. The official letter towards this investigation is sitting with the board for processing. As to why the board is not acting is a serious governance lapse,” the statement read.

Sisulu stressed that she wanted the investigation to start urgently and for the board to leave no stone unturned.

“The minister is seriously disturbed that the CFO who is under investigation is still in office. Minister Sisulu has urged the board to be decisive on this serious matter and take appropriate steps. Anything beyond this will be tantamount to dereliction of fiduciary duties and malicious defiance by all those who have a responsibility to maintain the image, dignity and the credibility of SA Tourism,” she added.

The leaked documents relate to the SA Tourism board deliberating on the R1bn sponsorship on January 27 where they conditionally approved it, pending consultation with the minister of tourism, the department of tourism, the National Treasury and other stakeholders. 

The board alleged that before the consultation processes had been undertaken, a presentation containing the details of the Tottenham Hotspur FC deal was leaked.

Since then, SA Tourism has been under immense pressure from the public over the three-year agreement worth R1bn. The deal included printing a message about SA on the club’s jerseys as part of a campaign to get millions of people around the world who watch the league to visit South Africa.

Support independent journalism by subscribing to the   Sunday Times . Just R20 for the first month.

‘Cancel the deal’: angry MPs to SA Tourism

Sa tourism ceo themba khumalo says sorry after tongue-lashing from mps, three sa tourism board members resign with immediate effect.

Would you like to comment on this article? Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.

News and promos in your inbox

  • LISTEN | Money trail led us to the man who deposited hit payoff: AKA detective South Africa
  • Shooting at Richards Bay municipal office leaves two bodyguards dead South Africa
  • Tech puts brakes on taxi driver, 24, facing fines worth nearly R400k South Africa
  • Seven houses, 51 vehicles forfeited to state in unwrought gold case South Africa
  • Cool weather and cloudy conditions predicted for Easter weekend South Africa

Latest Videos

Already have an account? Sign In

We've got news for you., why not investigate sa tourism's cfo johan van der walt, asks lindiwe sisulu.

Tourism minister Lindiwe Sisulu on Wednesday said the CFO of SA Tourism should be the one being pursued after revelations came to light about the R1bn Tottenham Hotspur deal.

Tourism minister Lindiwe Sisulu on Wednesday expressed concern about the decision of the SA Tourism board to pursue three resigned board members to account for the leaked discussion documents related to the agency’s sponsorship of English Premiership side Tottenham Hotspur.

The three, Enver Duminy, Ravi Nadasen and Rosemary Anderson, resigned with immediate effect last week shortly after the controversial sponsorship proposal came to the public's attention. 

Sisulu, however,  suggested that the board should be focused on suspending the CFO, Johan van der Walt, who allegedly brought ethical defects to the deal.

She said finding the whistle-blowers of the scandal was irrelevant. 

“The investigation of resigned board members is a ruse, whether they have leaked information or not. Their matter is not relevant to this case and is not worth wasting resources on. What must be investigated are all potential transgressors that have brought the image of SA Tourism into disrepute through deliberate deceptions. [This] includes hidden agencies that stood to benefit from this deal,” Sisulu's office said in a statement. 

The board had mentioned that it was not ignoring Van der Walt's alleged transgressions, but Sisulu’s office suggested that the focus was being diverted.

“In the meeting between minister Sisulu and the board a few days ago, the board made it very clear that the CFO had failed to declare his interests in three board meetings, concealing his special relationship with one of the companies involved in the deal,” read a statement from Sisulu’s office. “Subsequent to her meeting with the board, the minister ordered a fully fledged forensic investigation mainly on this serious conflict of interest. The official letter towards this investigation is sitting with the board for processing. As to why the board is not acting is a serious governance lapse,” the statement read.

Sisulu stressed that she wanted the investigation to start urgently and for the board to leave no stone unturned.

“The minister is seriously disturbed that the CFO who is under investigation is still in office. Minister Sisulu has urged the board to be decisive on this serious matter and take appropriate steps. Anything beyond this will be tantamount to dereliction of fiduciary duties and malicious defiance by all those who have a responsibility to maintain the image, dignity and the credibility of SA Tourism,” she added.

The leaked documents relate to the SA Tourism board deliberating on the R1bn sponsorship on January 27 where they conditionally approved it, pending consultation with the minister of tourism, the department of tourism, the National Treasury and other stakeholders. 

The board alleged that before the consultation processes had been undertaken, a presentation containing the details of the Tottenham Hotspur FC deal was leaked.

Since then, SA Tourism has been under immense pressure from the public over the three-year agreement worth R1bn. The deal included printing a message about SA on the club’s jerseys as part of a campaign to get millions of people around the world who watch the league to visit South Africa.

Support independent journalism by subscribing to the   Sunday Times . Just R20 for the first month.

Would you like to comment on this article? Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.

  • AKA murder 'paymaster' belongs to feared KZN taxi family
  • Tech puts brakes on taxi driver, 24, facing fines worth nearly R400k
  • 13,000 students to be affected by closures
  • Money trail led us to the man who deposited hit payoff: AKA detective
  • Why there are ants all over your home

Related articles

  • SA Tourism board to probe leak of Spurs sponsorship deal
  • SA Tourism CEO says sorry after tongue-lashing from MPs
  • Sisulu to brief Ramaphosa on the Spurs sponsorship deal
  • Parliament's portfolio committee calls off Spurs sponsorship
  • PEDRO MZILENI | SA Tourism needs a CEO who is clued up on the sector

Latest Videos

  • South African
  • International
  • Opinion and Features

DFA

SA Tourism acting CFO quits amid R1bn Spurs sponsorship saga

sa tourism johan van der walt

South African Tourism’s acting chief financial officer, Johan van der Walt, has quit the job after he was implicated in the R1 billion Tottenham Hotspur sleeve sponsorship saga.

sa tourism johan van der walt

SOUTH African Tourism’s acting chief financial officer, Johan van der Walt, has quit the job after he was implicated in the R1 billion Tottenham Hotspur sleeve sponsorship saga.

According to reports, Van der Walt submitted his resignation last Thursday after he had been served with a notice of suspension on Tuesday by new SA Tourism board chairperson Dr Thozamile Botha.

Botha had given Van der Walt until this Tuesday to give reasons why he should not be suspended.

Botha said the board was not aware of an alleged conflict of interests involving Van der Walt as he failed to declare his interests in meetings.

Van der Walt admitted he had links to an agency that was set to receive more than R31 million from the controversial sponsorship deal with English Premier League soccer team Tottenham Hotspur.

He insisted that he had no financial interests with the agency, WWP Group, but confirmed that he had done consulting work for the firm.

In an interview with “TimesLive” on Tuesday, Botha said the acting CFO resigned instead of furnishing reasons why he should not be suspended.

He had apparently cited the Spurs deal saga as his reason for resigning from the post he was due to act in for just seven months, having been hired in January.

Van der Walt had also recently come under fire from Parliament tourism portfolio committee chair Thandi Mahambehlala, who called for his resignation when he appeared before the portfolio.

SA Tourism is still pressing on with the Spurs sponsorship deal, despite loud protestations against the deal.

SA Tourism believes the deal will benefit the country as it will attract football loving tourists to the country, where they would spend in South Africa’s various tourism and hospitality destinations.

Three SA Tourism board members – Enver Duminy, Ravi Nadasen and Rosemary Anderson – resigned in protest against the deal.

A decision on whether the deal will be approved is awaited from Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana and President Cyril Ramaphosa.

RELATED ARTICLES MORE FROM AUTHOR

 width=

Deputy President Paul Mashatile is being probed by Parliament’s Ethics Committee

 width=

Wife of AKA murder accused forged medical note for bail

 width=

Eskom worker fired for using his phone at power station

Featured news, barkly west road open after protest, de beers road open after explosion, power supply interrupted after distribution box explodes, breaking news: evacuation in progress, comedian michael mcintyre is bringing his ‘macnificent’ world tour to south....

 width=

EVEN MORE NEWS

 width=

Why should I leave a team as good as you, Broos...

 width=

Leinster rucks will be ‘10 times worse’ than Dragons says Ruan...

 width=

Do Sharks have what it takes to stop Duhan?

Popular category.

  • South African 9975
  • International 4009
  • Lifestyle 3870
  • Opinion and Features 1966
  • Cricket 1551

SA Tourism acting CFO keeps mum on notice of suspension, chair Thozamile Botha says

Daily maverick reported that van der walt had links to an agency that would receive a £1.5m fee to ‘activate’ a sponsorship with tottenham hotspur.

sa tourism johan van der walt

Acting SA Tourism CFO Johan van der Walt has not responded to a notice of suspension served on him last week.

That is according to SA Tourism board chair Thozamile Botha, who said on Tuesday Van der Walt was served with a notice asking him why he should not be suspended, after preliminary investigations suggested he did not declare his conflict of interest or recuse himself from meetings discussing a sponsorship deal with English football team Tottenham Hotspur.

Botha said on Tuesday the deadline was on Monday, and the last time he spoke to SA Tourism he had not heard whether Van der Walt had responded.

Botha said if there was no response, the board would have to decide on a course of action.

Daily Maverick reported Van der Walt had links to an agency that would receive a £1.5m (about R32m) fee to “activate” the sponsorship. Van der Walt told the website he had no financial interest in the agency, WWP Group, but he had done consulting work for it, mainly on tax matters.

The new chair of the South African Tourism board, Thozamile Botha. Picture: SUPPLIED.

After the resignation of three SA Tourism board members two weeks ago, tourism minister Lindiwe Sisulu suggested last week the board should be focused on suspending Van der Walt, who allegedly brought ethical defects to the deal.

The proposed three-year agreement worth nearly R1bn, which included printing a message about SA on the club’s jerseys as part of a campaign to get millions of people around the world who watch the league to visit the country, has been put on hold.

On Saturday, SA Tourism dropped its forensic investigation into who leaked the document about the planned sponsorship deal.

SA Tourism board to target Spurs deal whistle-blowers

Top court throws out minister’s appeal on use of ‘racial’ criteria to fund tourism sector, editorial: offside, mr khumalo.

Would you like to comment on this article? Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.

Related Articles

Podcast: send in the clowns..., lindiwe sisulu must stop investigation into whistle-blower, psa says.

Published by Arena Holdings and distributed with the Financial Mail on the last Thursday of every month except December and January.

CapeTown ETC

CAPE TOWN FOR CAPETONIANS

Cape Town Property for sale or rent on capetownetc.com

SA Tourism CFO faces suspension over the Tottenham Hotspur deal

SA Tourism CFO faces suspension over the Tottenham Hotspur deal

Johan van der Walt, SA Tourism’s acting chief financial officer, has been served with a notice of suspension. According to board chairperson Thozamile Botha, Van der Walt has been instructed to provide reasons justifying why he should not be suspended.

Also read: South African government pursues R1bn sponsor deal with Tottenham

In January, Daily Maverick reported through its marketing agency, SA Tourism, that the South African government is preparing to sign a nearly R1 billion sponsorship agreement with the English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur.

According to EWN , Daily Maverick also reported that Van der Walt admitted to having connections to an agency that was set to receive more than R30 million from SA Tourism as part of the contentious sponsorship deal with the football club.

Botha said that early investigations showed that Van der Walt did not tell anyone about his conflict of interest or step away from meetings where the sponsorship deal was being discussed.

“In the general declarations, he indicated his links to those companies, but then as the details are being discussed obviously you expect him to say no, I can’t participate in this particular issue because I have vested interests,” he said.

Meanwhile, SA Tourism has allegedly dropped its investigation into who leaked the documents relating to the contentious Tottenham Hotspur sponsorship deal to the media. Botha stated that they did not want to go on a witch hunt because that would have made employees uncomfortable.

He also downplayed allegations that the organisation was targeting whistleblowers.

Botha claimed that since the institution has not yet made any financial commitments and the deal is still in the proposal stage, this is not a typical whistleblower case.

Also read: 

Three SA Tourism board members resign following Tottenham Hotspur saga

Picture: Unsplash

Article written by Sarah du Toit

sa tourism johan van der walt

CapeTownETC

Subscribe to our Newsletter cheap cars for sale cheap cars for sale in western cape cheap cars for sale in cape town Joburg news News in Johannesburg Bikes for sale

sa tourism johan van der walt

IMAGES

  1. SA Tourism CFO Johan Van Der Walt Faces Suspension Over Tottenham

    sa tourism johan van der walt

  2. Johann van der Walt

    sa tourism johan van der walt

  3. Johan van der Walt

    sa tourism johan van der walt

  4. R1bn Spurs sponsorship: 'Government must halt deal', Cosatu

    sa tourism johan van der walt

  5. Johan van der Walt was a trusted and valued team member

    sa tourism johan van der walt

  6. SA Tourism gets yellow card after R1bn Tottenham Hotspur revelations

    sa tourism johan van der walt

COMMENTS

  1. Why not investigate SA Tourism's CFO Johan van der Walt ...

    Why not investigate SA Tourism's CFO Johan van der Walt, asks Lindiwe Sisulu. Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. Tourism ...

  2. SA Tourism acting CFO resigns amid Tottenham Hotspur deal ...

    South African Tourism acting chief finance officer Johan van der Walt has stepped down in the wake of the controversial sponsorship deal with English Premier League team Tottenham Hotspur. The controversial deal proposed a payment of close to R1 billion by SA Tourism for a sponsorship deal. South Africa would pay the amount over three years.

  3. How SA Tourism CFO lied about links to Tottenham Hotspur sponsorship

    05 Feb 2023 29. SA Tourism's interim CFO Johan van der Walt misrepresented his ties to the agency that was set to be used to activate the R1-billion Tottenham Hotspur sponsorship deal, Daily ...

  4. SA Tourism serves conflicted CFO with notice of suspension, drops

    SA Tourism's acting chief financial officer Johan van der Walt, who was hired to stand in for just seven months, has been served with a notice of suspension over an alleged conflict of interest ...

  5. SA Tourism serves acting CFO with suspension notice

    JOHANNESBURG - SA Tourism acting chief financial officer Johan van der Walt has been served with a notice of suspension, the national marketing agency confirmed on Tuesday. Board chairperson ...

  6. SA Tourism CFO linked to agency related to controversial ...

    SA Tourism's interim chief financial officer, Johan van der Walt, has been linked to an agency identified in the controversial Tottenham Hotspur sponsorship proposal that made headlines this week. SA Tourism (SAT) proposed a three-year deal with the English Premier League side, worth £42.5 million (about R900m), starting at the beginning of ...

  7. SA Tourism interim CFO tied to agency involved in Spurs deal

    Daily Maverick can reveal that SA Tourism's interim Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Johan van der Walt, is a director of a number of companies linked to the WWP Group — and has admitted to ...

  8. SA Tourism acting CFO resigns amid Tottenham sponsorship scandal

    SA Tourism's acting CFO, Johan van der Walt, has resigned. Board chair Thozamile Botha on Tuesday confirmed Van der Walt's resignation, saying that it happened last Thursday. "We sent him a ...

  9. Why not investigate SA Tourism's CFO Johan van der Walt ...

    Why not investigate SA Tourism's CFO Johan van der Walt, asks Lindiwe Sisulu. Tourism minister Lindiwe Sisulu on Wednesday said the CFO of SA Tourism should be the one being pursued after ...

  10. SA Tourism CFO facing suspension over controversial Tottenham ...

    SA Tourism was looking to seal a sponsorship deal with Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur. SA Tourism CFO Johan van der Walt has been instructed to justify why he should not be suspended. Van der Walt has been linked to an agency identified in the controversial Tottenham Hotspur sponsorship proposal that made headlines this week. He has not ...

  11. SA Tourism acting CFO quits amid R1bn Spurs sponsorship saga

    Picture: Twitter/Chan-naz. SOUTH African Tourism's acting chief financial officer, Johan van der Walt, has quit the job after he was implicated in the R1 billion Tottenham Hotspur sleeve sponsorship saga. According to reports, Van der Walt submitted his resignation last Thursday after he had been served with a notice of suspension on Tuesday ...

  12. johan van der walt

    View johan van der walt's profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community. johan has 1 job listed on their profile. ... Chief Financial Officer at South African Tourism City of Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. See your mutual connections. View mutual connections with johan ... 188 others named johan van der walt in South ...

  13. SA Tourism acting CFO keeps mum on notice of suspension, chair

    Acting SA Tourism CFO Johan van der Walt has not responded to a notice of suspension served on him last week. That is according to SA Tourism board chair Thozamile Botha, who said on Tuesday Van ...

  14. South Africa: SA Tourism Interim CFO Has Ties to Agency Which Could

    Daily Maverick can reveal that SA Tourism's interim Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Johan van der Walt, is a director of a number of companies linked to the WWP Group -- and has admitted to doing ...

  15. De Lille axes 'dysfunctional' SA Tourism board

    Van der Walt subsequently resigned and the deal was shelved after opposition in parliament and from the presidency. Khumalo remains the acting chief executive and is among those who applied for ...

  16. Spur of the moment: MPs question how Tottenham deal, SA Tourism CFO

    As a result, MPs on the Portfolio Committee on Tourism weren't convinced that a government deal could come to fruition that quickly. SA Tourism's acting chief financial officer (CFO) Johan van der Walt, who has ties with a company which allegedly stood to benefit from the deal, was headhunted in December and appointed for just seven months on ...

  17. South Africa: How SA Tourism CFO Lied About Links to Tottenham Hotspur

    SA Tourism's interim CFO Johan van der Walt misrepresented his ties to the agency that was set to be used to activate the R1-billion Tottenham Hotspur sponsorship deal, Daily Maverick can reveal.

  18. SA Tourism CFO faces suspension over the Tottenham Hotspur deal

    Johan van der Walt, SA Tourism's acting chief financial officer, has been served with a notice of suspension. According to board chairperson Thozamile Botha, Van der Walt has been instructed to provide reasons justifying why he should not be suspended. Also read: South African government pursues R1bn sponsor deal with Tottenham. In January ...

  19. Johan van der Walt

    View Johan van der Walt's profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community. ... Acting Chief Financial Officer at South African Tourism / CIMA Adv., PGDip Man.Acc. City of Johannesburg. Connect ... 188 others named Johan van der Walt in South Africa are on LinkedIn See others named Johan van der Walt.

  20. Three key SA Tourism board members resign en-masse over ...

    By Friday morning, Daily Maverick had also reported that SA Tourism's interim CFO, Johan van der Walt, had ties to an agency named in the original documents about the Tottenham Hotspur deal ...

  21. 5 important things happening in South Africa today

    Concerns over Spurs deal: SA Tourism's interim Chief Financial Officer, Johan van der Walt, has admitted to having connections to an agency dealing with the controversial R1 billion Tottenham ...