Acting CEO of Tourism South Africa Themba Khumalo has resigned.
A source told TimesLIVE Khumalo handed his letter of resignation to the board of the troubled agency on Friday. He will be pursuing a new career opportunity with an American-based international firm. He served as chief marketing officer at the agency for four years and acting CEO for 17 months.
The resignation comes after Tourism South Africa survived a storm over public criticism of its ambitious R1bn Tottenham Hotspur deal which has now been put on ice by tourism minister Patricia de Lille.
Khumalo’s departure also comes against the backdrop of strained relations in the agency which saw an exodus of board members last month. Khumalo wrote a scathing report last month to De Lille asking that she dissolve the board because of “strained” relations between it and management.
This led to some board members resigning and De Lille appointing new members and a new acting chairperson, Tim Harris, which led to a clash with parliament’s portfolio committee on tourism this week.
The committee wants De Lille to remove two of the three people she appointed as the interim South African Tourism board, saying their appointments are a reputational risk.
In her first appearance before the committee in her new portfolio, De Lille clashed with MPs who demanded she fire Harris, a former DA MP, and businessman Zwelibanzi Mntambo, citing a conflict of interest. But De Lille did not budge, saying she would not be bullied by the committee.
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Themba Khumalo resigns from Tourism South Africa
Image: Thapelo Morebudi
Acting CEO of Tourism South Africa Themba Khumalo has resigned.
A source told TimesLIVE Khumalo handed his letter of resignation to the board of the troubled agency on Friday. He will be pursuing a new career opportunity with an American-based international firm. He served as chief marketing officer at the agency for four years and acting CEO for 17 months.
The resignation comes after Tourism South Africa survived a storm over public criticism of its ambitious R1bn Tottenham Hotspur deal which has now been put on ice by tourism minister Patricia de Lille.
Khumalo’s departure also comes against the backdrop of strained relations in the agency which saw an exodus of board members last month. Khumalo wrote a scathing report last month to De Lille asking that she dissolve the board because of “strained” relations between it and management.
This led to some board members resigning and De Lille appointing new members and a new acting chairperson, Tim Harris, which led to a clash with parliament’s portfolio committee on tourism this week.
The committee wants De Lille to remove two of the three people she appointed as the interim South African Tourism board, saying their appointments are a reputational risk.
In her first appearance before the committee in her new portfolio, De Lille clashed with MPs who demanded she fire Harris, a former DA MP, and businessman Zwelibanzi Mntambo, citing a conflict of interest. But De Lille did not budge, saying she would not be bullied by the committee.
TimesLIVE
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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