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The Democratic Alliance (DA) expresses its disappointment at the appointment of a SA Tourism (SAT) CEO who is unknown in the industry and lacks the business and top level management experience the position demands. The Minister announced that Ms Thandiwe January-McLean, ambassador to Portugal, will start her duties as SAT CEO on 1 January 2010. Apart from hosting South African promotional events in Portugal, her career background reveals no experience in the tourism industry and certainly no strategic planning expertise. Moeketsi Mosola, who did a superb job as CEO of SA Tourism, departed his post in March this year, but it has taken seven and a half months for the position to be filled. The Democratic Alliance (DA) submitted a parliamentary question to the minister of tourism in August asking for a reason for the delay. To date this is one of the many questions left unanswered by the minister. It is now clear that the inexplicable delay in appointing a new CEO was due to the search for a political appointee, rather than opting for the best fit-for-purpose tourism professional. Does the ANC government not consider tourism to be a serious, highly competitive global business needing sharp strategic vision and sound tourism business experience? Up until now SAT has done an excellent job with a paltry budget, to attract football fans from around the world to visit South Africa. January-McLean starts her new job at a time when the professionals at SAT will have their hands full coping with the run up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup and putting in place strategies for tourism growth beyond 2010. I have faith that the SA Tourism team will rise splendidly to the occasion, but one can only hope that January-McLean is a fast learner who'll prove that she has the ability to effectively steer tourism during and well beyond the 2010 FIFA World Cup.