Oupa Pilane, Southern African Tourism Services Association (SATSA) Co-Chair, addressed Mpumalanga tourism stakeholders this week to give an update on the measures in place to enhance the security of travellers to the area following the fatal wounding of a tourist on 03 October. His message was that every member of South Africa’s tourism industry needs to play a role in dealing with the root causes of tourism safety.
“We have to be a step ahead all the time and see what programmes can be put in place to deal with issues of joblessness and organise our young people who are seriously disadvantaged and have few prospects,” said Oupa.
He added that community organisations and churches in the region had been working hard to spread a message of discouraging crime and promoting the benefits that tourism brings to their community, for which he thanked them.
“We can’t look at easy ways out.”
When looking for solutions to end crime in the area, he said, “We can’t look at easy ways out. If we close Numbi, we would have to close the other gates and those communities are direct beneficiaries of tourism. If we agree to this approach, we may as well agree to blanket no-go areas across the country.”
Numbi Gate won’t be closed at this stage
The closing of Numbi Gate has been proposed as a short-term reaction to improve safety for tourists. However, Minister of Tourism Lindiwe Sisulu confirmed on 11 October that this has not happened, and that such a decision rests with the South African National Parks (SANParks) and Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (which Kruger Park falls under).
In the meantime, security measures have been stepped up at Numbi and Phabeni gates, including live surveillance using the latest surveillance technology and supported by immediate reaction units. A dedicated phone line has also been created for emergencies.
The security measures being implemented are being informed by a safety forum which includes SAPS, the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA), SATSA, Kruger Lowveld Chamber of Business and Tourism (KLCBT), SANParks and other stakeholders. The safety forum was established several years ago, as was a sub-forum for the Numbi Gate area which is a known crime hotspot.
A three-pronged strategy for tourism safety
National Department of Tourism Chief Director Visitor Services Lizzy Mathopa also spoke at the session. She explained the department’s three-pronged tourism safety strategy which includes: Proactive Measures to prevent crime, Responsive Measures to deal with incidents and Aftercare Programmes for the victims. She added that Mpumalanga has one of the most effective victim support programmes in the country.
Other measures that had been taken to tackle crime in the area included signing an MOU with SAPS to improve incident reporting and create a database of crimes against tourists, as well as working with the National Prosecuting Authority to create virtual courts so that tourists who had returned home could still testify.
MTPA’s Tourism Safety Manager Lindiwe Mthombeni added that they were continuing to conduct workshops at police stations on how to best assist tourists who had been victims of crime. A network of tourism volunteers has also been created to provide emotional and logistical support to victims.
Kruger Lowveld Chamber of Business and Tourism (KLCBT) COO Linda Grimbeek shared, “We have raised a reward which will be used to incentivise people to come forward with the identities of the perpetrators of last week’s incident or information leading to their arrest.”
Taking the economic benefits of tourism into rural areas
Linda added that to address the root cause of crime, plans were being put into action to create more tourism jobs in the area. She explained, “We are helping the villages in the vicinity of the Kruger to establish 12 to 20 activities each so that travellers can enjoy authentic experiences and we can create jobs. There will be a hub in each village where bookings can be made and each village will host two tours per day – one in the morning, the other in the afternoon – lasting just two hours so that it’s easy for the tourism industry to sell these experiences on their road transfers from and to the airport.”
SATSA has established a Safety and Risk Management Committee which will be rolling out prevention, reaction and after care activities, including safety and security protocols, tour operator and staff training and tourism ambassadors and translators.
SATSA COO Hannelie du Toit added that a partnership is being established with a Security Response and Emergency Medical Solution. Through this, tourists will be able to access to hundreds of emergency responders nationwide via their mobile phones.
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Cover image by David Tomaseti and surveillance camera image by Michał Jakubowski both on Unsplash
Ndebele Village photo from South African Tourism
