‘Out of order’: Sisulu reprimanded over Tottenham Hotspur deal

Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Tourism did not hold back when Minister Lindiwe Sisulu made a brief appearance to answer questions related to the proposed R1 billion sponsorship deal between SA Tourism and English Premier League team Tottenham Hotspur.

There has been a wave of angry reactions to the deal, which was first reported by Daily Maverick last week, with many saying government should instead channel the funds elsewhere.

MPs were not pleased with Sisulu, who told them she didn’t know about the deal initially.

“Chairperson, I start off with the first question. Did I know of the deal? No. I did not know of the deal. I knew of the deal when it became an issue and members of the board came to brief me about the deal,” she said.

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LINDIWE SISULU CALLED OUT OVER TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR DEAL

Lindiwe Sisulu further reiterated that the Tottenham Hotspur deal hasn’t even been given the greenlight and would be still need to go through various steps.

“The deal does not exist until several steps are followed. One of those steps is to get the permission of Treasury. And secondly, it’s to get permission of the president. I did not know when the members left for London. In terms of protocol, I knew that request for permission to meet with the board is normal if it’s from outside, because you can’t come into somebody’s country. But what it was about I did not know, I did not know if they got permission from the Chair of the Board, but when they came back, I watched on television when there was a press conference led by the CEO.”

Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu

Tourism Committee Chairperson Thandi Mahambehlala did not mince her words and called out Sisulu for being “out of order” for her constance defending of the deal.

“One, the deal on Tottenham Hot Spur stops and ends here and now, today. This is what the Portfolio Committee is saying. And two, the Acting CFO must leave now and today, because his presence in Tourism SA presents a conflict of interest on this particular matter of SA Tourism and how he ascended to that position. It was not as a result of a due process being followed like the one of the Acting CEO and other Actors in SA Tourism,” she said.