Question NW1402 to the Minister of Tourism

Reply:

(a) With regards to directional signage on roads, it is not the mandate of the Department of Tourism but the mandate of the Department of Transport and its agency (SANRAL) in terms of the National Road Traffic Act, N0. 93 of 1996 and its Regulations. The South African Road Traffic Signs Manual (SARTSM) Volume 2, Chapter 4 gives guidance on Tourism Signage as well as the required committee structures which need to be put in place for the approval process. Part of the approval process is a site inspection to determine the safety of the access to the facility.

Nonetheless, with specific reference to the Nelson Mandela Capture Site, in order to facilitate this recurring challenge of directional signage, the National Department of Tourism has been interacting with key stakeholders, to find a solution, herein summarised below:-

The National Department of Tourism contacted Mr D Jones of the Howick uMngeni Community Tourism Organisation (HUCTO) to ascertain the scale of the problem as well as the initiatives undertaken at local level to address the signage problems in the area.

The Department raised the issue through various platforms such as the National Tourism Planning and Coordinating Forum, the National Tourism Governance and Development Working Group, National Road Signage Task Team, the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Economic Development & Tourism Department, SANRAL officials, the KZN Tourism Department, the KZN Provincial Tourism Authority, the KZN Roads Department, uMngeni Local Municipality and the Howick Umgeni Community Tourism Organisation to find a workable solution to address the lack of signage to the Nelson Mandela Capture Site.

There was motivation made for tourist-directional signage along the N3 leading to the Mandela Capture Site. SANRAL’s response to the appeal for directional signage to be placed on the N3 was not approved, reasons why SANRAL cannot approve signage for the capture site off the N3 highway are the following:-

• Road signs are in place on the N3 and clearly visible to the road users. Road Signs should be used as landmarks to direct visitors to the facility. Visits to such facilities are planned ahead and the route are therefore also planned in advance.
• The facility is established on a numbered route R103 and sign will only be allowed to be displayed from the nearest numbered route to the facility. Signs are currently displayed on the local roads. The basic requirement as indicated in the SARTSM-Vol 2 Chapter 9.5.18.1 for the facility to display road are that it should be within 2km from the nearest numbered route. The N3 is not the nearest numbered route to the facility.

The response, however, makes mention of signage being allowed for the R103 which is the closest numbered road from the N3. The Department will continue to engage with all the stakeholders to urge the installation of signage to the Nelson Mandela Capture Site on the R103, which now appears to be the only available option.

(b) The National Department of Tourism works very closely with the Department of Arts and Culture concerning matters of the National Heritage Sites. To date, no enquiries have been raised pertaining to directional signage en- route to other iconic national heritage sites with the exception that of the Nelson Mandela Capture Site.

To reiterate, the issue of directional signage on public roads in South Africa is a core competence of the National and Provincial Departments of Roads and Transport, and it is not a shared competency across government departments such as Tourism. With respect to other iconic national heritage sites, the Department has provided funding for interpretative signage (signage installed within the site) to the management authorities of the following sites in 2016-2017 (1) Victor Verster Prison (WC); (2) Nelson Mandela Capture Site (KZN); (3) Freedom Park (GT); (4) The Mandela Statue at Union Buildings (GP), and will provide funding to the management authorities of the following sites in 2017-2018 (1) Kgalagadi Transfonteir Park (NC); (2) Golden Gate National Park (FS); (3) Sarah Baartman Heritage Site (EC); and (4) the Gugulethu Seven Memorial (WC).