Parliament to demand answers from SA Tourism over R1 billion Tottenham deal following DA pressure

3 February 2023

Please find attached a soundbite by Manny de Freitas MP.

An urgent meeting by the Tourism Portfolio Committee to discuss the controversial Tottenham Hotspur R1 billion sponsorship deal has been confirmed to take place on Tuesday 7 February 2023.

At this meeting the committee will have the opportunity to interrogate SA Tourism about the pending deal.

The revelation today that SA Tourism's interim CFO has ties to the agency that would cash in on this deal, makes this meeting urgent and critical.

Yesterday's press briefing by Themba Khumalo, the Acting CEO of SA Tourism, has left more questions than answers. The DA will demand answers on, amongst other things, if Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu was aware of the deal? We also want a confirmation of the exact figures involved in this deal.

The DA believes that sports teams are not required to promote South Affrica. This money must be used to to buy diesel to alleviate loadshedding, or go to tourism infrastructure.

Sports teams are not required to promote South Africa, rather loadshedding should be resolved which will in turn easily bring tourism back to our shores.

Issued by Manny de Freitas, DA Shadow Minister of Tourism, 3 February 2023