Question NW43 to the Minister of Tourism
27 February 2016 - NW43
Vos, Mr J to ask the Minister of Tourism
(1)(a) What are the reasons for the resignation of the South African Tourism’s (SAT) Chief Executive Officer (CEO), (b) what interim management measures have been put in place to ensure the effective operation of SAT and (c) what measures have been put in place to facilitate the appointment of a new CEO; (2) what steps have been taken, to date, to implement the recommendations issued by the full-scale review, launched last year to ensure the creation of jobs, given the importance of growing South Africa’s tourism sector within the current economic climate?
Reply:
1. (a) By mutual agreement, Mr Thulani Nzima gave notice of his departure from South African Tourism with effect from 04 December 2015, following discussion with the Board.
(b) Ms Sthembiso Dlamini, the current COO has been appointed as the Acting CEO as of 05 December 2015.
(c) The Board is working on appointing a new CEO. The position was advertised in the SA Tourism social media platforms and the Sunday Times and City Press on 07 February 2016.
(2) In light of the findings of the Ministerial Review of the organisation, SA Tourism has undertaken an exercise to evaluate its Tourism Growth Strategy with the aim to bolster tourism’s contribution to the overall economy and job creation. The intervention is focused on reviewing the performance of South Africa as a tourism destination, understanding the key growth drivers and barriers, defining the goal of the organization and identifying the critical steps towards achieving that goal.