15 months after suspension, former SA Tourism CEO is still on the payroll

Former SA Tourism CEO Nombulelo Guliwe is still on the payroll, 15 months after being placed on precautionary suspension over a R4.1 million pre-payment that the Auditor-General flagged as a material irregularity.

Guliwe continues to receive a monthly salary totalling R3.6 million between August 2025 and September 2026, but that’s not the total cost to the taxpayer: a further R1.8 million has been spent on legal fees and the interim CEO’s salary between June and September this year came to R751 165.

Replying to questions from ANC MP Atilia Hlongo, Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille said the total cost of Guliwe’s suspension came to R6.18 million.

The R4.1 million pre-payment went to marketing and events company WWP Group to help showcase SA at the Dubai Expo in 2021. The AG found that the pre-payment, made while Guliwe was chief financial officer, breached National Treasury regulations and was not matched by the delivery of services.

DA tourism spokesperson Haseena Ismail has called for transparency and criticised the minister’s reluctance to share information about the case.

“Given that the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) identified R4.1 million in irregular expenditure linked to Ms Guliwe during her tenure as CFO at SA Tourism, and that the Ngubane Report recommended consequence management against her, the DA has repeatedly urged the minister to act promptly. Taxpayer money must be protected.

“The appointment of a new SA Tourism board three months ago created an opportunity to move the matter forward. We expect the newly appointed board, chaired by Mr [Graham] Wood, to make meaningful progress. No entity can function successfully without filling its senior leadership positions.”

De Lille previously told Parliament that Guliwe’s inquiry had wrapped up in May and denied that she was reluctant to share information about the case.

Responding to questions from EFF MP Reneiloe Mashabela earlier this month, De Lille said senior counsel had briefed the new board on the history of the case and recommended a way forward.

“A decision was taken by the board to abide by the ruling of the appeal chairperson, that the matter be remitted to a different chairperson so that the point in limine raised by the CEO could be dealt with,” said the minister.

De Lille dissolved the previous SA Tourism (SAT) board in August 2025, arguing that it had unlawfully convened a special meeting and taken decisions without a duly appointed chairperson following former chair Gregory Davids’ resignation.

The previous board disputes De Lille’s version of what happened and took her to court.

The matter is still pending.

One of the issues raised by the minister was the board’s decision – made in the absence of a new chair – to place Guliwe on precautionary suspension for initiating steps to remove two SAT executives without following fair labour practices or consulting the board.

Board places placed Guliwe on precautionary suspension

The previous board ordered a forensic audit by accounting and audit firm Ngubane & Co into the pre-payment to WWP Group. The report recommended consequence management against Guliwe for her role in the irregular expenditure. The previous board adopted the report recommendations by way of resolution and placed Guliwe on precautionary suspension.

If recovery from WWP failed, the resolution recommended pursuing Guliwe and former executives Themba Khumalo and Altaaf Kazi, whom it identified as responsible for approving the payment. Khumalo and Kazi had by then left SAT.

Moneyweb has approached De Lille’s office for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.

Wayne Duvenage, CEO of Outa, says it appears the minister is protecting Guliwe.

“This is absurd. The minister should be asking the current board why they are taking as long as they are to make a decision on Guliwe’s suspension.

“Remember, the previous board had placed her on precautionary suspension in August 2025, due to what they believed were serious governance transgressions by her when she suspended the company secretary and chief marketing officer.

“Having said that, I get the impression that Minister De Lille isn’t concerned at the length of time this is taking, because it would appear she intervened to protect the CEO and chose to fire the previous board – who were holding Guliwe to account at the time.

“We are now paying for two CEOs and when a matter like this takes longer than four to six months, it must be regarded as an irregularity and wasteful expenditure. I blame the minister for this dire situation and believe the president should recall her. She is out of her depth and ineffective.”

Ongoing disciplinary process

The ongoing disciplinary process – and its open-ended costs – were the subject of heated exchanges before parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Tourism in August, with the EFF’s Mashabela alleging that De Lille was protecting Guliwe. This was denied by the minister.

De Lille replied that the interim SAT board had completed its disciplinary process and submitted several options to her.

She had considered these, together with transcripts and supporting documents, and returned her decision and recommendations to the board.

“There are very serious findings against Ms Guliwe, yet for a variety of reasons, often involving Minister Patricia de Lille, Ms Guliwe is protected from facing the music,” said the DA’s Ismail in August.

“The board must now act decisively and ensure that the findings of the Auditor-General and the recommendations of the Ngubane forensic report are implemented without further delay.”

This article was republished from Moneyweb. Read the original here.