DA Abroad Heading to Tottenham Hotspur Club to Get R1-Billion Facts About SA Tourism Plan
Outraged by South African Tourism’s alleged plan to sponsor English Premier League team, Tottenham Hotspur, the DA says it will do everything in its power to “oppose this lunacy”. Manny de Freitas – DA Shadow Minister of Tourism – said the plan is a “slap in the face” for hard-working South Africans whose tax will […]
Outraged by South African Tourism’s alleged plan to sponsor English Premier League team, Tottenham Hotspur, the DA says it will do everything in its power to “oppose this lunacy”.
Manny de Freitas – DA Shadow Minister of Tourism – said the plan is a “slap in the face” for hard-working South Africans whose tax will be used to sponsor a first-world football team, and that it’s also an “insult for the South African tourism and travel sector which was decimated, and in many cases completely destroyed, during and post Covid”.
Following a media report that SA Tourism’s deal with Tottenham is “on the verge of being finalised”, the DA says it will send a delegation from the DA Abroad to the football club in London this week in order to get the facts on the status of the deal, and find out if any money has exchanged hands. De Freitas said:
“This idea is even worse than the money allocated for the ANC’s comrades in Cuba, an effort that was stopped by Solidarity in the courts. Our country is in a power crisis. Consumers are being crushed by inflation. There is no way the ANC will be able to condone such a decision in the 2024 election, not even among its staunchest supporters.”
The DA will also be submitting questions and tabling the matter at the next Tourism Portfolio Committee meeting.
“SAT sites examples elsewhere where other Destination Management Organisations have signed agreements with other international football teams, however in these instances, the destinations in question already had a strong and thriving tourism industry. In such cases such deals makes sense as a “top-up” to what they are already successfully doing. In the case of South Africa, government isn’t even doing the basics, such as maintaining tourism sites and infrastructure.
“No doubt, this will also be a slap in the face of the sports fraternity, particularly the soccer sector, who do not receive much-needed funds to advance our own sports teams. With R1 billion the government can build a brand new soccer pitch in every town in the country!
“It appears that this is yet another glitz and glamour ploy by Tourism Minister, Lindiwe Sisulu, to leave a mark in tourism before the potential redeployment to another department in a soon-to-be announced cabinet reshuffle.
“This money should rather be spent locally to improve our tourism sector so that it can thrive, create jobs and in turn contribute to the much-needed growth of our economy,” said De Freitas.