South Africa: How SA Tourism CFO Lied About Links to Tottenham Hotspur Sponsorship 'Activation' Agency

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Tottenham Hotspur
5 February 2023
Daily Maverick (Johannesburg)
analysis By Rebecca Davis

SA Tourism's interim CFO Johan van der Walt misrepresented his ties to the agency that was set to be used to activate the R1-billion Tottenham Hotspur sponsorship deal, Daily Maverick can reveal.

SA Tourism's interim chief financial officer, Johan van der Walt, told Daily Maverick last week that his ties to the agency that could cash in on the controversial R1-billion Spurs sponsorship deal were highly limited.

When asked about his relationship with WWP Group, the agency named in documents as due to be given a £1.5-million (R31.3-million) upfront fee by 31 March 2023 to "activate" the sponsorship, Van der Walt replied in writing: "I have no financial interest in WWP Group, but I have in the past done some consulting work for WWP Group from time to time - predominantly work of a tax nature."

But Daily Maverick has seen emails from 2019 proving that Van der Walt worked directly for the WWP Group at this time in the position of "group financial director", rendering his characterisation of the relationship highly questionable.

The correspondence, which has been seen by Daily Maverick, shows Van der Walt's role in WWP Group clearly went far beyond intermittent, pro bono tax consulting.

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