Questionable SAT Governance Board Appointment

Statement by Haseena Ismail MP – DA Spokesperson on Tourism:

The appointment of Khomotso Brian Mosehla to the South African Tourism (SAT) Board raises serious concerns about Minister Patricia de Lille’s commitment to proper governance.

In response to a DA question in Parliament, the Minister described Mosehla vaguely as a “seasoned executive” who has held “various directorships” in the mining and financial sectors. This tidy summary leaves out significant issues that any basic background check would have uncovered.

Mosehla was previously an empowerment partner of Cash Paymaster Services (CPS), the company that was unlawfully awarded the SASSA social grants contract in 2012. CPS has appeared before the Constitutional Court multiple times for refusing to provide details of its profits and failing to repay funds unlawfully taken from SASSA. The controversies surrounding the company are widely reported.

He also held the role of CFO at the Housing Development Agency in 2020, a period that saw serious failures in delivering Temporary Residential Units, alongside suspicious tenders linked to Edwin Sodi, who is currently facing charges of fraud and corruption.

It is difficult to accept that the Minister was unaware of these issues. If she genuinely did not know, it points to shocking negligence. If she was aware, it shows a worrying disregard for governance standards at SAT.

This appointment comes on the back of a series of decisions that have already undermined SAT’s credibility and the confidence of the tourism sector. Rather than repairing the damage, the Minister appears intent on making the situation worse.

In National Departments led by ANC Ministers, or their closely aligned Ministers like De Lille, it almost seems as if senior appointees are expected to carry some questionable baggage – almost as if that is a requirement. This is precisely the sort of environment where mismanagement and corruption take root.

The DA has today written to Minister De Lille, demanding in writing that the full record of decision to appoint Mosehla, including all due diligence and selection criteria, be provided to the Portfolio Committee. Should this not be supplied voluntarily, the DA will lodge a Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) application to compel transparency.*

Public institutions cannot function properly behind closed doors. Patricia de Lille must either demonstrate that this appointment meets the highest standards of integrity, or take responsibility for yet another blow to SAT’s governance.