Tourism Minister wants SA-Tottenham deal cancelled

JOHANNESBURG - The controversial Tottenham Hotspur sponsorship deal should be completely scrapped.

That's the advice from Tourism Minister Patricia De Lille to the SA Tourism Board.

She says the deal is not in the best interest of South Africans and has not been budgeted for.

READ: SA Tourism | Is SA-Tottenham deal still on the table?

The nearly R1-billion proposed deal would have seen Spurs promote South Africa as a tourist destination.

But instead, it caused widespread outrage earlier this year.

WATCH: De Lille gives update on SA-Tottenham deal

"This matter has been marred by a lot of controversy and has raised many questions and we need to resolve this matter decisively, and in the best interest of the people of South Africa," she said.

"As a country when we enter into such massive partnerships, it is vital that we're able to fully be accountable, transparent and answer South Africans clearly and honestly.

"So based on the board chairperson's interim response that I received this morning, my advice to the SA Tourism board is that this proposal may as well be stopped completely."