The Hotspur miss out on deal worth R90m after uproar
PRETORIA – The proposed South African Tourism partnership was reportedly over R90 million over three years and was expected to be signed off by with the minister of tourism this week. As well as featuring on the Premier League club’s shirt sleeves, matchday advertising and branding on interview backdrops was also to be a part of the agreement, with the fee a considerable improvement on Spurs’ current deal with Cinch.
However, reports of the deal drew a backlash in the country, given President Cyril Ramaphosa is currently weighing up calling a state of disaster due to record power cuts and the increase in poverty. The parliament’s tourism committee has now vowed to terminate the deal, which would have kicked in from next season.
“This deal, it ends here, today, now, because there is everything wrong about the deal itself,” said the committee’s chairperson Tandi Mahambehlala. “There must be an investigation on this matter with immediate effect.”
Her comments came after tourism minister Lindiwe Sisulu denied any knowledge of the deal, saying: “I am not aware that any agreement has been signed with Tottenham Hotspur. That would only happen after agreements from the Treasury.
“So, we do not have a deal, as far as government is concerned.”
When asked about the deal last week, the president’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya commented that Ramaphosa “did not think spending so much money in the manner that is being suggested will be justified.”
While Tottenham have yet to comment on the agreement, Themba Khumalo, acting chief executive of South African Tourism, initially defended the decision, citing the tourism sector’s difficulties in recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic. He has subsequently apologised in parliament for his comments defending the partnership.
Opposition political party Democratic Alliance has strongly denounced the deal. In a statement it said: ‘(The proposal is) a slap in the face of every South African whose hard-earned tax will be used to sponsor a first-world football team. (It is) an insult for the South African tourism and travel sector, which was decimated, and in many cases completely destroyed, during and post-Covid.’