Hansard: NA: Mini-plenary 1

House: National Assembly

Date of Meeting: 19 May 2022

Summary

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Minutes

UNREVISED HANSARD
MINI PLENARY - NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
THURSDAY 19 MAY 2022
VOTE NO 38 – TOURISM
Watch: Mini-plenary

PROCEEDINGS OF THE NAITONA ASSEMBLY MINI-PLENARY - VIRTUAL
____
Members of the mini-plenary session met on the virtual platform at 14:00.

House Chairperson, Ms M G Boroto, took the Chair and requested members to observe a moment of silence for prayer or meditation.
The Chairperson announced that the virtual mini-plenary sitting constituted a meeting of the National Assembly.

APPROPRIATION BILL
Debate on Vote No 38 – Tourism:


The MINISTER OF TOURISM: Hon Chair, I hope that I am audible.
Hon Chair ... [Interjections.]

The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): You are very clear! Thank you.

The MINISTER OF TOURISM: Thank you! Hon members, invited guests, ladies and gentlemen, we present this Budget Vote today on the back of numerous seismic social, economic and humanitarian crisis. But, we do so with the resilience that only South Africans have. We also noted that our people have responded with hope and strength through this pandemic, and the determination to prevail. It is these demonstrable qualities we celebrate with this Budget Vote, and which we will give support and real meaning to us going forward. We have been amazed at the resilience of the sector. It mirrors the resilience of our people. Chairperson, I need to touch on the most important part of our work, which is our economic contribution. Tourism contributes 3,7% to South Africa’s GDP, more than agriculture, utilities and construction. Travel and Tourism is an important driver for job creation across the world as globally, and it is giving us 334 million jobs, which were created in the industry in 2019. We intend to double our share of the global figure in the next five years.

According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, travel and tourism generated 478,900 direct jobs in 2020 – which is 3.2% of total employment. The total contribution of travel and tourism to employment - direct, indirect and induced - was 987 400 in 2020 - 6.5% of total employment -compared to the
1 460 900 jobs in 2019 - 8.9% of total employment in our country. This is apt by now at 32.4% drop in total employment of travel and tourism in South Africa, precisely because of the situation that we are in. However, direct jobs include employment by hotels, travelagents, airlines and other passenger transportation services, excluding commuter services. It also includes activities of hospitality, restaurants and leisure industries directly supported by tourism. In the wake of the devastating global decline in tourism due to restrictions as a result of Covid-19. Let me remind you of the importance of tourism in the South African economy. This is what I intended to do, so that by the time we deal with the devastation, we understand where we come from. In 1994 our arrivals numbers were 3,9 million and, by 2019, this had trebled to 10,2 million international tourists visiting our shores. We have earned our place in the dynamic and competitive global tourism space.

These events, such as we have undergone, force us to dedicate resources to support the recovery of our economy, so that we get back to the place which we occupied in 2019.
[Interjections.]
Ms J TSHABALALA: Point of order, Chairperson. Sorry, Minister. This is a point of order, House Chair, this is Tshabalala on the virtual platform.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): I can see your hand, hon Tshabalala. What are you rising on?
Ms J TSHABALALA: Thank you so much and apologies to the Minister. I was rising on the picture quality of the Minister.
Perhaps it needs to be fixed and then the Minister can come as it continues because it is really not looking good, and I hope the people on the background can also see it. I just thought that needs to be corrected. Thank you so much, Chair.
The MINISTER OF TOURISM: Sorry, Chair: The picture behind me?

The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): The hon Minister, I didn’t want to disturb people. The picture is not so good but I think you should proceed as they work on that. We are aware members, please let us not panic. It happens all the time, Minister. It is fine. As we have now paused a bit, may I ask the hon Mahambehlala to mute her microphone, please. Minister, you may proceed.

The MINISTER OF TOURISM: I am very sorry about the quality of the picture; I suppose this is part of what we are going through in Covid. I was going to say that these events such as we have undergone, force us to dedicate resources to support the recovery of our economy, especially in this tourism
industry. Importantly, they challenge us to answer the question: How do we build an inclusive and resilient tourism sector and economy which, as it grows, will ensure the participation of women and young people in a meaningful way? The floods in Kwa-Zulu Natal have also announced the sobering
reality that climate change is here. The unpredictable and dramatic weather conditions will affect our sector especially– it has affected our sector, as you have seen – and we should be intentional in our planning and budgeting, in a way that


 
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demonstrates our awareness of the changes in our world, and a
sensitivity to the conditions and vulnerability of our people.
We cannot be reactionary. Our people rely on our government to
put in place measures to support and safeguard their lives and
livelihoods from both predictable and unpredictable crises.
The budget we present today makes a bold statement in this
regard.
We want to look forward and make sure that at all times we are
able to predict the kind of unseen and unforeseen crises that
you just had in KwaZulu-Natal.
To go back to Covid-19 pandemic, like a bolt of fire from
nowhere, our bustling tourism was brought to a sudden halt
with the advent of Covid-19. The impact of the Covid-19
pandemic was immediate and absolutely devastating for us. In
2020, the sector saw massive declines in foreign arrivals and
revenue. The arrivals decreased by 72,6% in 2020 relative to
2019 – 2 802 320 compared to 10 288 593 in 2019 - with an
estimated further decline to 2,3 million in 2021. Contribution
to GDP decreased from 3,7% in 2019 to an estimated 1,3% in


 
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2020. Estimated declines on direct employment in the sector
exceeded 36% in 2020 compared to 2019.
On the supply side, we observed losses in key tourism products
and services, affecting gains made over the years to diversify
South Africa’s tourism offering, with particularly painful
losses to the SMME sector. These losses further negatively
impact on our struggle for broad-based economic transformation
in this sector.
However, domestic travel contributed positively to demand in
the Covid-19 period, driven by campaigns and pricing targeted
for our domestic market. This was positive and helped create
better understanding within the market and through this
exposure propelled the market to diversify its offerings.
What we have done to stabilise the sector and strategise for
recovery? We have undertaken successful efforts, in the spirit
of our people who have risen to the challenge of every
obstacle. We have focused on the dream of a diverse,
inclusive, and transformed sector. With our partners, private
and public, we spent these dark times imagining a brighter


 
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future, stabilising the sector, and strategising for recovery
in line with the Tourism Sector Recovery Plan.
We have implemented projects to ensure that we protect and
rejuvenate the supply and these include: Publishing the norms
and standards for safe operation in the sector, as well as
providing training within the sector on these; we implemented
the tourism infrastructure maintenance programme in key
tourism assets as well as finalising the most important areas
that will drive us forward in this particular period; we
implemented initiatives to mobilise resources through
investment promotion; and our comprehensive sector skills
development programme was rolled out to ensure that relevant
skills are available to the sector as it recovers.
Currently, we are encouraged by estimates from the United
Nations World Tourism Organisation, UNWTO, that global tourism
experienced a 4% upturn in 2021, compared to 2020. This was
great news as we geared ourselves to receive more leisure
tourists and business travellers to our country, which would
boost the economy and ensure our people are returned to their
jobs.


 
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We invested in ensuring that as the world re-opens,
Destination South Africa remains top of mind in our key
markets and beyond, through: Launching the Global Advocacy
Programme to ensure that consumers, trade partners and the
global media are informed about Destination South Africa; we
participated in the Dubai Expo, and did very well there; we
launched the Global Brand Film inviting everyone to “Live
Again”; we hosted Meetings Africa under the theme, “Advancing
the African Agenda Together”; Meetings Africa, now in its 16th
year – we had to skip last year’s one as we were under extreme
lockdown – but we are very glad this year that we will be back
to the 16th year; it was created in response to the global
meeting industry’s growing recognition of Africa as a sought-
after premier business events destination; we had 13 countries
exhibiting from the African Continent and just under 200
buyers, representing 40 countries at this particular event; 54
of our youth participated in a programme designed to build
future leaders and contribute to the transformation of our
industry; we had 24 of South Africa’s leading entrepreneurs
and SMMEs in the sector, and a, Sustainability Village, that
showcased the work of some of our best crafters that we have
in the country; and various campaigns focused on the domestic


 
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market to encourage South Africans to enjoy the beauty and
heritage of home that we are able to offer.
Hon members, last week we announced that during our attendance
at the Arabian Travel Market, that we as SA Tourism signed a
memorandum of understanding, MoU, with Emirates to grow the
tourism market in South Africa. We indeed signed on this
memorandum of understanding, and we are really proud of the
steps that we have taken so far. Air travel is a key pillar
for South Africa’s tourism recovery and we expect that this
will boost visitor arrivals. It will promote tourism and
inbound traffic to South Africa from key markets across the
Emirates network.
We are also working on a memorandum of understanding with
Qatar, which will be hosting the World Cup this year, to
consider us a hub for the World Cup. The Middle East is a
critical market for South Africa, so this collaboration will
be a very important and instrumental one in ensuring ease of
access to and from South Africa for travellers from this
region, and will assist us in elevating our trade efforts.


 
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The turnaround in the performance of the sector, although from
a low base, is apparent for all to see. Most sector
performance indicators we are measuring showed an upturn in
the year 2021. It is this glimmer of hope that strengthens
our resolve to do even more, to plant more seeds that will see
tourism growth beyond the 2019 levels.
On the global travel bans, I need to remind hon members of the
impact of the global travel bans that have upset the world,
especially ourselves. The UK was the first to ban travel to
South Africa and this resulted in a terrible domino effect,
with numerous countries following suit. The few countries that
had allowed travel to the country made the trip very difficult
for would-be tourists as travellers were subjected to a PCR
test, the various other requirements, as well as a ten-day
quarantining period, etc.
Travellers have been put off from South Africa because of
these measures had made it very difficult for them. We believe
that these have been given unwarranted attention, especially
because they were on the back of the Omicron variant, which we
South Africa are very proud to have discovered and very proud


 
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to indicate to the world how far our scientists have gone in
understanding what is happening to us.
Travel bans, however, have followed, and ‘red lists’ that was
brought about by this, has affected us very badly. We have
managed, through various efforts, to persuade these
organisations that are responsible, especially the UNTWO and
those countries that had put us on the ‘red lists’ to reopen
our lines. I am glad to say that through this and various
other efforts – through Dirco, the Presidency – we have had
some success and these have been uplifted.
I was pleased to hear the UNWTO announce that imposing blanket
restrictions on travel was discriminatory, stigmatising,
ineffective and contrary to World Health Organisation
recommendations. This came halfway thought our experience of
being blacklisted. However, it has so been declared. This sort
of support from the WTO does wonders for tourism, not just to
South Africa, but to the whole of the SADC region.
We are now on our Tourism Sector Recovery Plan, TSRP. The
Tourism Sector Recovery Plan is a collaborative sector plan
worked out jointly by all tourism players and adopted by


 
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Cabinet in April 2021, as part of the country’s overall
economic recovery from the pandemic, and to ensure recovery of
the tourism sector, including economic growth and job
creation.
The three-year plan, which is aligned to the country’s
Economic Recovery and Reconstruction Plan, is anchored on
three strategic pillars, namely, re-igniting demand,
rejuvenating supply and strengthening enabling capacity, and
has seven strategic interventions and key enablers to support
recovery. Of the three pillars of the plan, reigniting demand
is our major focus area as we believe that getting people
travel will be the ultimate enabler of tourism recovery.
We have acted decisively to restore confidence in the greater
tourism and hospitality sector to overcome the global
challenges resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic and the South
African tourism industry is already seeing improved traveller
confidence.
We set the tone for collective recovery of the sector after 19
months of travel restrictions, when South Africa hosted the
first ever African Travel and Tourism Summit held on 19-21


 
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September 2021, which afforded the Meetings Africa and
Africa's Travel Indaba communities, a platform to engage the
globe to address challenges created by the pandemic. Chair, I
have been cut off.
HON MEMBER: No!
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Hon Minister, you are
still on. The problem is that the background is not clear, now
we see just the red space.
The MINISTER OF TOURISM: Chairperson, this is so unfortunate,
and these are the effects of lockdown and the environment
under which we work.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): If they could just
bring you to the screen ... Okay! You can proceed when you
have muted your video. I think it’s fine. Your microphone is
still on; you may proceed!
The MINISTER OF TOURISM: Can you see me, Chair?


 
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The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): No, you video is muted
now, Minister
The MINISTER OF TOURISM: Yes, there is very little I could do
about that.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): No, just proceed. Just
proceed and conclude.
The MINISTER OF TOURISM: Okay!
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Just, so you can
conclude, I will bring my face up again. Then, you will know
that you are left with one minute, because you get reimbursed
with the time lost through disruptions while you are on the
platform. So, when I bring my face on, you must know you have
one minute left, but you may proceed without the video.
The MINISTER OF TOURISM: We have acted decisively to restore
confidence in the greater tourism and hospitality sector to
overcome the global challenges resulting from the Covid-19
pandemic and the South African tourism industry is already
seeing improved traveller confidence.


 
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We set the tone for collective recovery of the sector after 19
months of lockdown. What we did was to make sure that we get
together with our main customers, and we have had a session
where we had had key interventions we spearheaded to get the
sector moving again and re-ignite demand. And, these include:
Championing the removal of ‘the red listing’, which I have
already dealt with; South Africa secured a seat at the UNWTO
Executive Council, which is the highest decision making body
between the United Nations General Assembly, and successfully
lobbied the UNWTO to back African states and call on the world
to reopen their borders; we sponsored a framework for the
establishment of the Africa Tourism Unit for the African Union
Commission in an effort to strengthen regional integration;
regional collaboration and synchronisation of policy was
signed in an MOU with Kenya very recently, and was made public
in South Africa; we held bilateral engagements with key
Investors in the UAE and Gulf Co-operation Council Region, who
have shown interest in signing of the memorandum of
understanding; we had supportive interventions led by the
Ministry and SA Tourism to reconnect Destination South Africa
through air service development working through
multistakeholder public and private sector structures;
encouraged inbound airlift through engagements with airlines


 
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including Emirates and Qatar; and we have launched a new
global campaign titled, Live Again, where we are encouraging
everyone to come as they are and leave as behind what we have
been through and live again.
We announced last week during our attendance at the Arabian
Travel Market that the Emirates has signed with ourselves, as
I have indicated earlier on. We are very proud of what we have
achieved. The Recovery Plan also highlights the protection of
supply to support the demand that is there.
Together with all the stakeholders within the value chain, the
department will continue to implement the Tourism Sector
Recovery Plan to facilitate, amongst others: Protection and
creation of jobs; greater diversification of the supply side
of tourism; increased quantum and focus on infrastructure
investments in the tourism sector; greater confidence in South
Africa as a safe destination and an improved South African
Brand; increased international arrivals that you are beginning
to see; and most importantly, we are turning domestic tourism
into the anchor of the tourism sector.


 
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Recovery is focused on inclusivity and transformation. We have
thousands of SMMEs throughout our townships, rural areas and
small dorpies offering authentic creative experiences
throughout our tourism value chain. These SMMEs are crucial
for our goal of inclusive sustainable tourism and help spread
the benefits of tourism to communities outside the traditional
tourism ‘hotspots’.
We have done a great deal, and this will be elaborated upon
... [Interjections.] We will be able to take this to the NCOP,
preferably the better equipment between ourselves and
yourselves so that we don’t have blared vision ...
[Interjections.] ... in any steps in our discussion.
Chairperson, it has been a disastrous interaction, and I hope
very soon we will be in a physical meeting so that we don’t
have a recurrence of this. We will continue to implement the
Tourism Implementation Programme and ... [Time expired.]
Thank you very much, Chairperson, I hope the next round you
will give me a little more time. Thank you very much!


 
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The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): We have tried! It was
due to interruptions. We tried to give more time. Thank you.
Ms P T MPUSHE: Thank you very much, hon House Chair. House
Chair, hon members of this august House, I greet you and all
fellow South Africans. During his renown speech, I’m an
African, former President, Thabo Mbeki, said, and I quote:
The evolution of humanity says that, Africa reaffirm that
she is continuing her rise from the ashes. Whatever the
setback of the moment, nothing can stop us now! Whatever
the difficulties, Africa shall be at peace.
As we celebrate this Africa month in 2022, we are reminded of
the scramble for Africa which led to the Berlin Conference of
1884 that kept up the motherland among the European nations.
This heroic event signifies the degrading and undermining of
Africa and her people by the colonial powers. Lest we forget,
the protectors struggle of our land and now more than ever, we
need to unite to build a better Africa for all. In the words
of first President and Prime Minister of Ghana, Ntate Nkwame
Nkrumah, I quote, “Africa is one continent, one people and one
nation.”


 
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Hon members, I rise on behalf of the ANC to support Budget
Vote 38 on Tourism, I do so mindful that, the painful and
difficult struggle to transform our economy so that it serves
all our people continues. Ntate O R Tambo once said: “The
first fight for freedom must go on until it is won, until our
country is free and happy and peaceful as part of the
community of man, we cannot rest.” In spite of the setback,
the ANC remains committed to finding intervention that promote
a developmental growth path, to create more decent jobs.
The COVID-19 pandemic has posed a great threat to our effort
to meet the National Development Plan, NDP, target of halting
unemployment by 2030. Evidently, the tourism sector bore the
brunt of the harsh impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tourism
played a critical role in the broader South African economy.
As a tertiary sector, we strongly plead to transportation
consumers to pay financial services and other network
industry. Tourism’s indirect contribution is substantial. The
2018 data from Stats SA, indicates that, the sector directly
accounted for 2,9% of Gross Domestic Product, GDP.
It also contributed 8,6% indirectly to GDP and supported over
725 000 jobs directly, 1,4 million indirect jobs, and it


 
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accounts for 8,6% of total investment credit. Whilst our
nation was looking forward to the intervention announced by
the President in his 2018 state of the nation address to
double the tourism sector, Covid quickly watered down our
efforts. According to the Tourism 2020 report released by
Stats SA, foreigners’ arrival dropped by 71% from just over
15,8 million in 2019, to less than 5 million in 2020.
The lockdown and travel restrictions that were imposed while
helping to curb the spread of the pandemic and spare the lives
of our people, had dire implication in the economy,
particularly, the tourism economy. Allow me, hon House Chair,
to thank His Excellency, the President, Ntate Matamela
Ramaphosa, in our government, for easing lockdown restrictions
supported by scientific evidence and also the roll-out of the
vaccine. The easing of restrictions has allowed more time for
business operation and this enhanced our efforts for recovery.
As the ANC, we are of the view that SA Tourism is to quantify
the absolute value of the African market, especially, the
regional market, thereby, creating packages most suitable for
the African and regional market. As such, hon members, we
welcome a Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, find on 11 May
2022 between Emirates and SA Tourism, to jointly promote


 
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tourism and boost visitor arrival inbound traffic to South
Africa from key market and across Emirates network. The
Meeting, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibition, MICE, is
critical for the recovery of tourism in South Africa.
The Meeting Africa and Africa Traveling Indaba that were
suspended over the past two years, have been brought back into
physical events in 2022. This is an important undertaking as
each shows the world that South Africa is a self-destination
that is open for tourism business. The SA National Convention
Bureau, SANCB, has re-emerging and restructured the mine
sector to adapt the new imperatives imposed by COVID-19.
Aligned to the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan,
ERRP, the Tourism Sector Recovery Plan outlined a set of
interventions to ignite the recovery of tourism anchored in
three strategic pillars, namely, protecting and rejuvenate
supply, reignite demand and strengthening enabling capability
for long-term sustainability.
Through the Sector Recovery Plan, the department seeks to
reaffirm tourism position as a major contribution to the South
African economy, and its envisaged role in the broader
economic reconstruction and recovery thought. In line with the


 
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President’s commitment in the state of the nation address
early this year, the department’s 2022-23 budget allocation
amounts to R2 491,6 billion, of which R370,8 million is
allocated to fund Compensation of Employees. An amount of
R550,4 million is budgeted for goods and services, R1
565,6 billion for transfers and subsidies, and R4,8 million
for the payment of capital assets.
The ANC welcome the increase in the budget allocation
Programme 2 from R1 382,7 billion in 2021-22 to R1
416,0 billion in 2022-23. The main cost driver for this sub-
programme is the transfer to the department and to the SA
Tourism, SAT. In 2020-21, the transfer to SA Tourism, SAT, was
significantly reduced at R423,0 million, with the funding
redirected towards COVID-19 Relief Fund. The increase in
allocation will aid the recovery initiatives of the sector
through marketing in strategic market globally.
We also welcome the budget allocation of R7,6 billion over the
mid-term. Though inadequate for its mandate, we believe that
the department will use it to effect the necessary change we
need, to see the country embark on economic recovery and as we
also tackle the massive elephant, that is transformation


 
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within the sector. The transformation strategy for the sector
adopted in 2018 argues that, ownership self is a critical
spectrum in accelerating the growth and development of
business ventures.
The Amendment Tourism BBBEE Code aims to promote ownership by
black people in tourism enterprises through voting rights,
shared and black-based ownership scheme and even co-
operatives. Furthermore, the sector needs to promote more new
black entrants and sustainable black-owned businesses. While
we acknowledge that more work needs to be done to support and
uplift historically disadvantaged tourism enterprises, it is
not nearly enough. More needs to be done to empower our people
and profile our black-owned products across the country,
villages, townships and small dorpies needs to be the
epicentre where tourism programmes thrive.
However, this work is hindered by the likes of the Afri-Forum,
the DA and the FF Plus alliance organisation, that uses the
legal apparatus to ensure that they roll back the democratic
gains of our government. They are hell-bent in ensuring that
our people continue to suffer, while they are enjoying the
fruit of freedom, post-apartheid era. These white supremacy


 
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defenders of economic apartheid, have interdicted one of the
strategic recommendation of the Tourism Sector Recovery Plan,
which is the implementation of the tourism liquefy.
It aims at restraining of status supply, such in a manner that
addresses the construction of the sector and advancement of
transformation through an enabling funded participation of
black people, women, youth and people with disabilities in the
sector. This initiative is also aimed at bringing together
government development finance institution and commercial
banks to pull resources for ease of access to capital and
operational funding. Its success would have seen increase and
inclusivity within the sector, that will emerge after full
recovery of Covid.
Hon members, noting that there are fiscal constraints which
will impede the speed recovery of the sector, the ANC implores
the department and its entities to move at alternative ways of
carrying out some of the programme. Indeed, as espoused in our
national government manifesto, for the tourism sector to fully
yield the intended results, we ought to deploy a whole of
government approach, and in so doing, some of the key


 
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programme initiatives to boost this sector, it will get
additional resources they require.
While the ANC remain content about the possible repeat
findings on the matters that have been raised by the Auditor-
General previously, we welcome the plans that have been put in
place to address those repeat funding, including holding
weekly meetings to ascertain that all ... [Inaudible.] ... on
time and adequacy. As the ANC, we have shown capacity to self-
correct where mistakes have been made on legislation, on tour
guide allocation to prevent the anomaly of desist people from
their recall of benefiting. We also wish that corrective
measures can be taken against officials for wrong doing.
We call on the department to finalise the process of the
review of the White Paper on the Development and Promotion of
Tourism in South Africa which was adopted in 1996. House
Chair, as I conclude, allow me to urge our people to heed the
call by our hon President, let’s grow South Africa together. I
also wish to applaud and that the hon Minister, Mme Lindiwe
Sisulu, and the hon Deputy Minister, Ntate Fish Mahlalela for
their sterling support in the portfolio committee.


 
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Also, Chairperson, on the lighter note, I so wish to apologise
that there is misunderstanding in terms of the, clean off the
hon Minister, I think that it displays that indeed, as South
Africa, we are a destination of choice, the glitter that is
there on her screen displays the vibrancy within the tourism
sector in South Africa. Thank you, hon House Chair.
Mr M S F de FREITAS: Madam House Chair, I hope I am audible
and you can hear me. In replies to questions I posed earlier
this year, the Minister advised that the key performance areas
in her performance agreement as signed by the President are
political leadership contributing to the country’s triple
challenges, National Development Plan, NDP, priorities and
medium-term strategic framework. Other key performance areas,
KPAs, included building a capable, ethical and developmental
state and political leadership and oversight. Nowhere does the
word tourism feature anywhere in the performance agreement.
This makes perfect sense because this reflects the reality on
the ground, because in reality this government has done little
for the tourism and travel sector. In fact, this sector has
been able to slowly grow and developing despite and not
because of this pathetic government.


 
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It was embarrassing to listen to the Minister tell our
portfolio committee this week about how so the many great
achievements have been reached by her government. This is as
delusional as believing that stilettoes can be worn with a
military uniform.
Interestingly enough, in September last year at the African
Travel and Tourism Summit the Minister admitted that the
tourism sector bled nearly a third of its jobs. Let’s then
have a look at the achievements by the Department of Tourism.
An example of such an achievement is the fact that the
Auditor-General found that social security grant
beneficiaries, Unemployment Insurance Fund, UIF,
beneficiaries, persons with incorrect or invalid ID numbers
and people employed by the state and, wait for it, dead people
received the tourist guide relief funds. Over R13 million
later and not a cent has been recouped and no one has been
brought to book. My colleague, the hon Hannah Winkler, will
discuss this matter further.
In the meantime, the tourism sector has lost an estimated
470 000 jobs due to this government’s illogical job-destroying
lockdown period. Thanks to government’s unscientific job


 
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killing regulations only 37% of employees within this sector
were receiving 100% of their salaries in February 2022. The
tourism sector supports an extensive value chain, including
hotel accommodation, restaurants, tourist destinations,
transport, airlines, catering, food and beverage companies,
tour guides and registration and support staff. This
translates into hundreds of thousands of jobs, in turn
supporting millions of people. But this government clearly
doesn’t care about this.
In February, the online accommodation portal Afristay
conducted a survey with its 15 000 travel accommodation
establishments and found that the devastating effects of the
destructive lockdowns still linger in South Africa today. This
independent survey found that only one in three travel
establishments say their business has returned to normal, 41%
of establishments said their businesses are still severely
impacted, only 53% of establishments have returned to their
normal staffing levels and one in three establishments are
still operating with less than half their usual staff.
When South Africa entered its hard lockdown period in March
2020, it was initially expected to only last for a few weeks


 
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at most. However, South Africa’s borders remained closed to
all but essential travel until mid-August. Crossing provincial
boundaries was also not allowed to be crossed. Not only had
international travel been cut off, local tourism and business
travel was also not permitted by this government. This is
despite the fact that some tourism subsectors by their very
nature already complied with lockdown regulations, such as,
self-catering accommodation and country accommodation which
have isolated and self-contained accommodation units. But
government in its idiocy chose to outlaw rotisserie chickens
instead. This government seemed to have been oblivious to the
fact that we are part of the international community. Instead
of doing everything possible to attract international tourists
who bring their strong currencies to our shores, they simply
exacerbated an already horrendous situation. In 2020 alone,
the tourism sector lost R164 billion in spending by visitors.
Policy uncertainty and contradicting policies ensured that,
for example, one of our largest markets, the United Kingdom,
kept us on their red list for 10 months, costing our economy
around R7,9 billion last year alone. In reality, the reason
why we were on so many red list was because that despite the
gradual relaxation of lockdown restrictions, there was no


 
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guarantee that this government won’t simply reimpose the
restrictions and leave the tourists stranded. In fact, this is
exactly what happened.
This government still doesn’t understand that it is the
private sector that is actually building tourism and bringing
visitors to South Africa. This is happening while government
tinkers on the edges by, for example, providing courses that
offer no real qualification and even when they do, thanks to
this government’s ideological straight jacket regulations,
graduates are unable to be employed. Instead, the private
sector is already bringing in thousands of visitors to
conferences, exhibitions, meetings and holidays.
We all agree that President Cyril Ramaphosa’s tourism target
announced in his 2019 state of the nation address, of
21 million tourists by the year 2030, is now unrealistic post
the pandemic. However, the truth is that even before the hard
lockdown in March 2020, this target was already absolutely
unrealistic. For that original target to have been achieved,
taking the pandemic out of the equation, it would mean that
South Africa would have to grow its economy by 6% compounded
annually. So even before the pandemic tourism wasn’t growing


 
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at the pace that it ideally should have. Statistics at the
beginning of 2020 released by the Statistics SA showed a 2,3%
decline in tourist arrivals. This translated into a loss of
about 615 000 arrivals in 2019, which in turn meant a
R5 billion loss in tourist spend in the country.
Government has been doing the wrong things all along. Tourism
is a quick win that government should be focusing on in
working to grow the economy. This would require political will
on the part of the ANC to address the challenges of crime and
xenophobic tensions that keep visitors away. Government should
instead focus on ensuring that tourism sites and attractions
are well maintained, clean, safe, accessible and well
marketed. It should stop trying to do everything badly and
rather do a few things well. In doing this it will make our
tenacious tourism sector flourish even more, contributing to
growing our economy and creating jobs. Thank you, House Chair.
Ms L F TITO: House Chair, the EFF rejects the proposed budget
for the Department of Tourism and the committee report. The
tourism industry has lost more than 1 million jobs since the
COVID-19 pandemic. The industry has lost billions because of
COVID-19. But we know that the government is the one that


 
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caused the most damage to the tourism industry, especially the
hospitality industry. We know that the industry was caught in
the crossfire between Mr Cyril Ramaphosa and the current
Minister.
She was not moved to the department to help the struggling
industry, but to Mr Ramaphosa, she was given a portfolio that
is less important. As a result, our people who own bed-and-
breakfasts, small hotels and restaurants lost their
livelihoods. The only tourism industry that survived COVID-19,
the 21 July unrest and the floods in KwaZulu-Natal and the
Eastern Cape are white and international tourism. Black people
are now completely excluded from the tourism industry. The
government failed to give relief on time. When some people in
the industry received their relief, it was only R1 000,
R5 000, R3 000, never more. Only the white people have
regrouped and are continuing with business as usual. The
Minister is apologetic about transformation and she is
succumbing to anti-transformation programmes that want to keep
the tourism industry white in a country that has more than 80%
black Africans. We are now being told that the racist lobby
group, AfriForum, is giving the Minister a list of people who
must be included in the Tourism Equity Fund.


 
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What is giving about giving racists money and they build
facilities for whites and Europeans only? Why is the
government involved in entrenching racism in the tourism
industry? Why do you want to amend the failing BEE policy to
make it even weaker? The people of KwaZulu-Natal suffered an
unbelievable loss of lives and loss of livelihoods. It is a
crime that the government across all species has not
quantified the cost to assist the tourism sector. It is almost
two months now and the people are still waiting on the
government for assistance. There is no communication. People
in the tourism sector are now coming to the EFF offices every
day because this government is failing them.
Minister, a task team must go to KwaZulu-Natal today and get a
list of all the people in the industry to quantify the cost to
rebuild some normality in the sector. The demand for building
tourism infrastructure in destinations in the villages,
townships and small towns, is reduced to events. We went to
view Chief Maqoma’s gravesite in Ntaba kaNdoda. The state of
the gravesite is shocking. Steve Biko’s grave in King
William’s Town is dilapidated and the engraving on the sign
has been washed away by the rain. In 10 years, we will not
know where Steve Biko is buried. Next to Steve Biko’s grave,


 
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the Cattle-Killing Mass Grave Memorial in King William’s Town
is covered by grass. Right next to the mass grave there is a
memorial of white soldiers that is well-maintained.
This is not only happening in the Eastern Cape; it is
happening in all the other nine provinces. But the department
is cutting budgets to create jobs. The people who must be
placed in the working for tourism programmes as sitting at
home because R18 million was cut from the budget. Lastly, why
are the grading fees not scrapped despite calls by all the
stakeholders? Why are grading fees used to gatekeep in the
tourism sector? The EFF rejects the proposed budget for the
Tourism Department. I thank you, House Chairperson.
Mr K P SITHOLE: Hon Chairperson, it is safe to say that the
tourism sector was one of the hardest-hit sectors when COVID-
19 reached our shores. The department is understood to be
navigating through difficult waters, given the increase in the
local cost of living, as well as the recent floods in certain
parts of this country. It has been reported that the hotel
industry’s income is 33% lower when compared to February 2022,
a month before the pandemic hit our shores.


 
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It is common knowledge that tourism is a major contributor to
the country’s GDP and the job market. It is, therefore,
concerning that this department is facing a budget decrease of
about 6%. We welcome the department’s progress in signing
Memorandums of Understanding with major airlines across the
world, to make South Africa more accessible to foreign
markets. However, we need more strategies that will place
South Africa top of mind as a travel destination for the rest
of the world, through bidding for more international sporting
events, with the goal of bringing in more foreign revenue.
To achieve this, the South African tourism sector needs to
work with the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture, to
successfully bring major events to the country. These two
departments – working in collaboration – should strategically
identify and collaborate with influential sportsmen and women
to support our bid in bringing sporting events and tourism to
South Africa. One such example is the recent interest by
Formula One, led by Lewis Hamilton, to make South Africa the
next destination for a Formula One Grand Prix. This is
something that this department must prioritise. They must work
with the relevant associations to support their efforts in


 
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bringing premier sporting events and the accompanying foreign
investment and tourism to our country.
The need to bring sports tourism to South Africa is well-
justified, given the move towards diversity within sports.
Landing such big events in South Africa must include support
for rural townships through tourism. Sports should not just be
a preserve of the more well-established areas but must find
creative and practical ways to include our rural areas. Whilst
it is important to support the call for international
travellers to return to our shores, we must not forget the
local travellers who supported our economy when the pandemic
hit, and people were on the brink of losing jobs and going
without food. We agree with the committee’s recommendation
that domestic tourism should be strengthened by making travel
affordable for locals. As a member of the transport committee,
I have seen the challenge of the rising cost of transport in
this sector. This is an ongoing increase and will become the
biggest obstacle for rural and local tourism. Furthermore, a
recent article highlights that our middle-income earners spend
almost all their income within the first five days of
receiving it. This talks to the rapidly rising costs of living
and this will surely hamper our efforts to support local


 
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tourism. The IFP does support the budget. Thank you very much,
hon House Chairperson.
IsiZulu:
USIHLALO WENDLU (Nk M G Boroto): Malungu ahloniphekile, nalaba
abasazokhuluma bengifisa ukuthi nike nenze engathi nithatha i-
selfie ngaphambi kokuthi nikhulume.
English:
That is why we have to log on, on time.
IsiZulu:
Ubaba uSithole besingawaboni amehlo akhe nje.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): I just did not want to
disturb his flow of speech. So log on, on time and put your
gadgets where you know you can check yourself, as to how you
appear on the gadget.
Mr W W WESSELS: Hon House Chairperson, we don’t dispute and
none of us can dispute the fact that tourism is an extremely
important sector in South Africa, which contributes to the
GDP, as the Minister puts it and also with regard to job


 
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creation. There is also no doubt that the tourism sector
suffered the most during the Covid-19 pandemic, not only in
South Africa but around the globe. The is a difference though
between how the South African government assisted the tourism
sector and how the rest of the world reacted, assisted and
mitigated the impact.
The Minister uses terms such as dedicating resources to assist
the tourism sector and restore the sector. She uses terms such
as reactionary action and bold action. Is that bold action or
the reactionary steps that the department took? Does that
include the R20 million in irregular expenditure? Does that
include the corruption that occurred with the relief funding?
It that what bold is?
That is the problem with this department and that is the
problem with the whole ANC government. Yes, it tried to
provide relief, but then officials stole the money. The money
that should have reached the tourism sector did not reach the
tourism sector, whilst tourist destinations such as the
Apartheid Museum had to close its doors. The District Six
Museum was begging for funding. The Johannesburg Art Gallery
is a mess. The Fugard Theatre is permanently closed.


 
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Your government, hon Minister, wants to spend R22 million on a
flag. How is that assisting tourism? How is that assisting the
employees, people that lost their jobs?
Let me for a second address the hon Mpushe, who talks about
our people who will continue to struggle. As I do not
understand who the “our people” of the ANC or the ruling party
is, I will assume that she is saying that it is black people.
Then I want to tell the hon Mpushe when she refers to black
economic empowerment that the criteria used by the department
did not only have a detrimental effect on white owners of
tourism sector, but also had a detrimental effect on millions
of black employees of those hotels, guest houses, bed and
breakfasts and so forth, who did not receive any relief
funding. You do not think further. This is the problem.
The problem is the ANC’s wrong priorities – mismanagement,
poor service delivery and corruption. One cannot be completely
flabbergasted by that, if one takes into account the
Minister’s complete disregard and her attitude towards the
Constitution. Then one can understand why the ANC government
does not take their constitutional obligation to provide


 
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services to people, so that there can be tourism and ... [Time
expired.] ... and disregard it. I thank you.
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF TOURISM: Hon Chair, can you hear me?
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): We can hear you,
although I cannot see you. You have just muted yourself.
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF TOURISM: Hon House Chair, can you hear
me now?
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): We can hear you, but
are you not going to show yourself? If you have problems and
we have to proceed in that way, I don’t have a problem.
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF TOURISM: We do not have access. They
must give access to the ...
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): To the video?
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF TOURISM: Yes.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): You may proceed, if you
still have problems, as they work on it.


 
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The DEPUTY MINISTER OF TOURISM: Thank you House Chair,
Minister of Tourism, hon Lindiwe Sisulu, the members of the
portfolio committee and hon members of the House, members of
the SA Tourism Board, led by the interim Chair, the director-
general and the senior management, the acting chief executive
officer, CEO, of SA Tourism and the executive management, and
distinguished guests, our approach in this financial year is
guided by cautious optimism emboldened by the green shoots of
recovery that are beginning to emerge. After two years of
stunted tourism performance owing to coronavirus disease 2019,
Covid-19, containment measures globally, we began year 2022,
with positive signs of tourism activities opening up globally.
We are, indeed, cautious, hon House Chairperson, by taking to
heart what President Ramaphosa advised us about during state
of the nation address that there is both prospect of great
progress and the risk of reversal.
We are moving with the necessary speed to implement the
tourism sector recovery to ensure that we put a dent on the
Covid-19 induced 70% losses of arrivals and earnings. We are
dedicating the 2022-23 budget to providing meaningful support
to the operations of the sector that has seen so much loss. On
the back of our rich heritage and natural beauty, and our


 
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vibrant people, we have an opportunity to reclaim our share of
international arrivals and boost tourism performance. As we
cast our sights to the future, we continue our efforts to
promote domestic tourism and to reignite demands from the
African continent and the rest of the key international source
markets. Addressing existing travel barriers is critical for
sector recovery, and in this regard, we will continue to work
with our partners in the public and private sectors to remove
such barriers.
The gains we have made in inculcating a culture of travel
amongst South Africans is evidenced by the traction that our
Sho’t Left campaign has received. The campaign inspired South
Africans to get out of the house and take more days and
holiday trips by showcasing a variety of affordable, desired
experiences in a clear and accessible manner that is
underlined by personal safety messages. At the same time, we
have also implemented the Domestic Tourism Scheme in the 2021-
22 financial year in the Northern Cape, Gauteng and Limpopo
highlighting the role and responsibility of tour operators to
help contribute in making travel accessible, enabling the
participation of people with modest income and previously
marginalised groups in society.


 
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In this financial year we will focus on growing domestic
demand by growing trips. While we focus on growing leisure
visitor numbers stimulation through three domestic marketing
campaigns, we will also focus on developing leads to a
pipeline of business events for our destination. From a
business events perspective, with the gradual relaxation of
lockdown regulations, our business events sector has made
significant strides with the resumption of hosting of physical
events, namely, in a limited capacity. The SA National
Convention Bureau will actively seek to develop leads for
future business events to ensure that South Africa develops
and maintains a bid pipeline for continued growth of the event
sector. One of the key strategies to maintain South Africa’s
position as the number one business events destination in
Africa and in the Middle East, and to be truly competitive on
the international stage, is the enhanced focus on business
development support to maximise South Africa’s chances of
winning the rights to host business events.
As part of the recovery plan, SA Tourism, through its National
Association project drives the development of secondary
meetings destination by encouraging local-based associations,
federations, and societies to: Rotate their national meetings


 
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or conferences across South Africa – spreading the economic
impact of local meetings and conferences to villages, towns
and small dorpies; create bidding opportunities for villages,
towns and small dorpies, VTSD, with assistance of the
provincial and city convention bureaus; assist VTSDs across
South Africa to develop their meeting and conferencing
infrastructure by bidding for National Association meetings
and conferences. For the medium to long term, the SA National
Convention Bureau will continue its focus on demand creation
and bid support globally, as it focuses on bids for future
meetings, incentives, conferences and trade exhibitions, Mice,
within the six focus sectors of the SA National Convention
Bureau, SANCB.
The quality assurance functions will continue its drive to
grow the number of graded properties across South Africa,
which will improve our overall perceptions as a quality
destination that offers a wide variety of products and price
points for tourists. Greater emphasis will be placed on
assisting new entrants to be more sustainable. The projects to
support emerging sharing economy participants in their quality
assurance journey are planned. For this financial year and
beyond, a specific focus will be on reviewing the grading


 
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system to include emerging product and accommodation of small,
medium and micro-enterprises, SMMEs. A key component of our
strategy is to ensure that demand is met by adequate, diverse
and unique tourism products and services to entice and excite
visitors to our shores. In the wake-up of supply side losses
due to reduced tourism activity during the pandemic, the
maintenance programme was introduced to protect the key
tourism infrastructure.
The programme started life in response to the Jobs Summit
process in 2018, with the primary objective to improve and
ensure proper maintenance of 19 National Park Assets for
destination enhancement, job creation and small medium and
micro enterprises empowerment. We will want to invite hon De
Freitas, to go to our National Parks and see the work that we
are doing so that when he speaks, he speaks on informed
position. The regular maintenance of our nature-based tourism
assets is so important to our local economy. Well-maintained
attractions are critical to improve our tourism infrastructure
supply and also enhance the visitors’ experience. It is
therefore for this reason, that this programme responds
directly to the outcomes of the Covid-19 Economic
Reconstruction and Recovery Plan and the Tourism Sector


 
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Recovery Plan, which namely, protecting supply. Total
cumulative employment created by the programme was 857 with an
expenditure of about R82 million by mid-March.
The contractors overseeing the work have progressed through,
at least one level in their grading, allowing them to bid for
bigger contracts going forward – some have progressed through
more than one. Given the nature of the parks, the programme
was predominantly rural, benefitting communities and
participants in proximity to the parks, many of whom have
hitherto felt that they do not benefit from the parks. In this
financial year, to further accelerate the destination
enhancement work, we will expand the maintenance programme to
include several provincial parks as part of the Presidential
Employment Stimulus packages.
We are implementing youth skills development programme
nationwide, leaving a dent on the scourge of unemployment and
consequential social strife. The various training programmes
being offered focus on the interventions to improve visitor
experience and are based on industry demand on the skills.
They are implemented in partnership with private sector, and
with the objectives to contribute towards poverty alleviation


 
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through payment of stipends, placement of learners in the
tourism and hospitality establishments thereby granting them
exposure to job opportunities and income generation. At the
conclusion of these programmes, the learners are provided with
accredited or recognised certificates and are well-positioned
to further their studies at technical vocational education and
training, TVET, Colleges.
In the previous financial year, the department was
implementing food safety quality assurer programme with
training on norms and standards for safe tourism operations,
including Covid-19 protocols in the Western Cape and Gauteng
provinces in line with projects plans, targeting 300
unemployed and retrenched youth. About 300 unemployed and
retrenched youth in 2021-22 financial year, benefitted from
the chef professional cookery training on norms and standards
for safe tourism operations, including Covid-19 protocols in
Free State and Northern Cape provinces in line with the
projects plans. Whilst also 300 unemployed and retrenched
youth are targeted for this financial year for the same
training programme in North West, Free State and Northern
Cape.


 
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Hospitality youth programme food and beverage was implemented
in the KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape, North West, Gauteng and
Mpumalanga provinces was finalised. 340 youth are currently
being trained or active in the programme in Western Cape,
Eastern Cape and Northern Cape. Hospitality youth programme
food and beverage with training on norms and standards for
safe tourism operations, including Covid-19 protocols will be
implemented in all nine provinces and about 1 000 youth are
targeted for this financial year.
The wine service training programme with special focused
training on norms and standards for safe tourism operations,
including Covid-19 protocols was implemented in KwaZulu-Natal,
Western Cape and Northern Cape in line with projects plans for
252 unemployed youth. About 30 Chefs were taken through a
recognition of prior learning process for a qualification or
designation. The project is aimed at recognising the
experience of chefs who do not have formal qualifications. The
chefs undergo recognition of a prior learning, RPL, process
and get awarded a National Qualification Framework, NQF,
Level 5 Artisan Chef qualification by SA Chefs Association.
Capacity building workshops focusing on a number of critical
tourism issues such as raising awareness on tourism


 
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programmes, incentives and business support programmes were
conducted in rural communities in Limpopo at Waterberg, Vhembe
and Mopani Districts and Mpumalanga at Gert Sibande and
Nkangala Districts, Western Cape at Overberg District. In
total nine sessions covering 395 participants were held. These
initiatives will be expanded to cover the other provinces
during this current financial year.
Over 3 000 learners and students participated in the National
Tourism Careers Expo 2021, and 80% of these learners came from
Gauteng as the host province. About 45 schools from Gauteng
attended, with 15 schools attending each day of the three days
of the event. The National Tourism Careers Expo, NTCE, for
2021, was hosted on March 2022 at National Recreation Centre,
Nasrec. The NTCE positions tourism as a career of choice to
learners and students. The date for the NTCE 2022, has been
announced and will work with other provinces for their own
provincial careers’ expos. In 2021-22 a total number of 1 178
of educators participated in the educator development
programme. The objective of the programme is to ensure that
tourism and hospitality educators are capacitated on the
latest tourism issues and exposed to the sector. In order to
capacitate tourists’ guides, we have just completed phase 1 of


 
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the implementation of the Mandarin language training programme
for 55 tourist guides. With the implementation of phase 2 of
the Mandarin language training we will be targeting 38 tourist
guides in this financial year. These are guides who made it at
phase 1 to phase 2.
Hon House Chairperson, plans are already underway to develop
an integrated central database to enable the management of
tourist guides at both national and provincial levels. The
database is critical for the discharging of legislated
mandates of the two spheres of government with respect to
growth and transformation of this subsector. In order to
introduce efficiencies into the system that provides the
sector with skills development support, two knowledge systems
will be developed and implemented, namely, the tourism skills
and employment portal and the tourism sentiments.
The department will also continue to engage the diplomatic
community in sharing information and empowering them on the
tourism recovery plan. One of the platforms that the
department uses to advance the implementation of the
memorandum of understandings, MOUs, that we have signed in
partnership with provincial and local government spheres and


 
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private sector is the best practices workshop that is held
annually. The workshop is targeted at countries that we signed
agreements with in Africa and across the globe, creating a
platform that the representatives from each invited country
and the experts in the field of tourism shares the best
practices within such field. Such workshops also allow the
South African side to implement the signed agreements as well
as contribute to regional integration.
Our development plan calls for a state that is capable of
playing a developmental and transformative role as result good
governance and zero maladministration become a solid
foundation for such an ethical state. Systems of internal
controls are vital to ensure integrity ... [Time expired.]
The ACTING CHAIRPERSON (Mr F D Xasa): Your time is up hon
Deputy Minister, I am sorry. Can we now recognise hon Thring?
Hon Thring, over to you.
Mr W M THRING: Hon Acting Chairperson, from the position of
the ACDP, there can be no doubt that the last two years have
seen havoc wreaked on the tourism industry. According to the


 
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United States World Tourism Organization, UNWTO international
tourist arrivals fell by 72% in January-October 2020.
The ACTING CHAIRPERSON (Mr F D Xasa): Hon Capa ...
[Inaudible.] Hon Swart.
Mr S N SWART: Hon Acting House Chairperson on a point of
order: Mr Xasa, someone is interrupting the speaker. Please
allow him extra time. Thank you.
The ACTING CHAIRPERSON (Mr F D Xasa): We will do so.
Mr S N SWART: Acting House Chairperson, one of the rules, I
believe is that, if a member fails to listen to you then they
need to be removed from the platform. It is unacceptable that
we are interrupted in this way.
The ACTING CHAIRPERSON (Mr F D Xasa): We are apologising for
that. We will take into account your time.
Mr W M THRING: There can be no doubt that the last two years
have wreaked havoc in the tourist industry. According to the
United States World Tourism Organization, UNWTO international


 
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tourist arrivals fell by 72% from January to October 2020. The
decline represents 900 million fewer international tourist
arrivals compared to the same period in 2019, translating into
a loss of $935 billion in export revenues, more than 10 times
the loss in 2009 under the impact of the global economic
crisis.
Like many other countries, South Africa was not spared.
Against the advice of the ACDP, South Africa had one of the
harshest lockdowns, resulting in all tourism activities
ceasing. The sector was hard hit, with over 400 000 of tourism
jobs lost and many businesses permanently closing down.
The ACDP fails to understand why the department’s 2020/21
budget was reduced by over R1 billion amidst the dire
circumstances of our sector. The end of 2020 saw the number of
domestic holiday trips decreased to 5,1 million trips, from
7,1 million in 2019. Clearly, the many unwarranted health
policy decisions contributed to our high unemployment rate, a
constrained economy, and a decrease in disposable income,
which will further impact domestic travel and tourism in the
years ahead.


 
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With the tourism sector stakeholders calling for a
standardised set of protocols and travel rules, the ACDP calls
on the department to desist from calling for mandatory
vaccines in the workplace as well as to desist from calling
for the use of vaccine passports. South Africans were told to
trust the science, and science now shows that both the jabbed
and un-jabbed can contract Covid-19, so why discriminate
against the un-jabbed?
Sadly, in South Africa today, many of our government
departments could be labelled, the Department of Corrupt
Affairs. The Auditor-General noted that there has been a
regression in the last two years in performance reporting of
the Department of Tourism and SA Tourism. Shockingly, there
was a lack of department oversight in allocating the Covid-19
Tourism Relief Fund, TRF and the Tour Guide Relief Fund, TGF.
The committee noted a lamentable misappropriation of funds and
a lack of robust measures resulting in money being unaccounted
for, allowing state employed persons and others to benefit
unduly from these relief funds. This is morally reprehensible
and orange overalls should be the only reward given to those


 
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who have stolen from the poor, honest, hard-working citizens,
and business owners in the tourism sector. I thank you Chair.
Mr N L S KWANKWA: Hon Acting House Chairperson, due to
government’s knee-jerk’s rejection and some irrational
regulations in response to Covid-19, the Covid-19 pandemic
plummeted the tourism sector in an unprecedented crisis as
more and more sectors especially in this industry were
expected to close down without any recovery plan put in place
to assist them after Covid-19.
This is the problem that affects not only well established
businesses but also affects businesses that are in the
townships that do not have deep pockets or surplus or even
reserves to be able to fund their recovery strategies.
IsiXhosa:
Mphathiswa, abanye phaya ezilokishini bayasixelela ukuba
bandwendwela ezi ndawo konwatywa kuzo ngethemba lokuba baya
kufumana mntu othile oya kufuna ukungqengqa nokuba yiyure
inye. Ngolo hlobo bayakwazi ukuba bafumane loo mali incinane
ukuze bakwazi ukuphila.


 
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English:
That is a major problem that needs to be addressed. To make
matters even the committee report itself does highlight the
fact that the allocated budget in this department is not
adequate to address the current needs of the portfolio. The
department does not have enough funds to facilitate sector
recovery to deal with the impact of the Covid-19 to the
industry. To make matters worse, the department will also not
have financial incentives to facilitate recovery of tourism
small, medium and micro-sized enterprises, SMMEs that were
devastated by the Covid-19.
We have seen many businesses closed down particularly of this
challenge which faces them. We are not convinced as a party
that the department has a credible plan, as one of the
objectives in the Recovery Plan, that will be able to give
global market programme to reignite internationally. We are
also not convinced that enough has been done to promote
regional tourism in South Africa, let alone local tourism but
regional tourism. This is especially where South Africans at
times, tend to be more receptive and welcoming to tourists who
come from other countries, overseas but tend to be hostile to


 
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tourists who come from the rest of the African continent. This
is what at times is labelled as Xenophobia.
Minister, some of us who have had the privilege of travelling
around the world have served as ambassadors of South Africa
where we have actively promoted the country and encouraging
people to come and host events in South Africa. Over the past
couple of years, a number of events have been hosted in
provinces such as Western Cape because we have actively
promoted South Africa. The concern people keep on flagging all
the time is the fact that violent crime is on the rise in
South Africa. Not only that, when they come to South Africa,
what also becomes a problem is that some of the monuments in
the rural areas and townships which can serve as tourist
attractions have been vandalised. For example, if you go to
the area where the Gugulethu Seven Monument ... [Time
expired.]
IsiXhosa:
Hayi, yintlonti le yale mizuzu mithathu, hayi sukaa. Enkosi
Sihlalo.


 
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Ms S T MANELI: Hon Acting House Chairperson, hon members and
fellow South Africans, when our former Mmamoloko Tryphosa
Kubayi delivered the Budget Vote in 2021, she indicated to us
that the United Conference on trade and Development listed
South Africa as one of the top 15 countries that were most
negatively impacted by the near closer of the international
industry to control the spread of the virus. Accordingly, that
predicted that Tourism South Africa was going to lose 3% in
GDP contribution and the loss of unskilled jobs would be as
high as 12%.
House Chair, we watched these numbers increasing by the day
causing a degeneration in the economy and the livelihoods. One
could not help but think about many women who are sole
providers in the thousands of households and what this tragedy
meant for them. Women typically earn less, have fewer savings
and hold less secure jobs than men to begin with. Women are
particularly vulnerable to economic shocks in general.
The pandemic has devastated women dominated sectors like
hospitality, tourism and retailing depriving many women of
their livelihoods. Across all the region women have been more
likely to drop out of the labour force during the pandemic. It


 
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is sad to note that 58% of women make their living in the
formal sector with few to no worker protection like paid sick
leave and maternity leave amongst others.
Whilst understanding the devastation brought about by the
pandemic, the ANC believes that the we need to develop a new
optimistic outlook that is caused on the tremendous prospects
for the sector and our country. The World Health Organisation,
WHO, Manifesto for a Healthy Recovery from Covid-19 highlights
that the crisis has also brought some of the best in our
societies. It has brought about solidarity amongst its
neighbours. It has been able display the bravery of the health
and other frontline workers in facing down risk to their own
health to serve their fellow communities and their fellow
citizens. It has also foster greater working relations amongst
our countries and solidarity across the continent.
The manifesto goes on to explain that in some places pollution
levels have dropped to such an extent that people are now able
to breath fresh air and have access to clean water. The use of
digital technology has accelerated new ways of working and
connecting with each other from reducing time spent commuting
to more flexible ways of studying, to carrying out medical


 
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consultations remotely and to spending more time with our
families.
Hon members, all these developments that I have alluded to
provide an opportunity to look at the tourism industry
differently. Let us treat service delivery, particularly
interventions that seek to revive this industry with the same
urgency we have treated the pandemic by mobilising our
national resources in government, business and civil society.
Let us try to preserve lessons from the crisis as we recover.
As predicted in our Recovery Sector Plan, developments around
the global deployments of the Covid-19 vaccines have boosted
tourism consumer and business confidence. Although members in
some parties were spreading conspiracy theories around the
efficacy of the vaccines and trying to discourage our people
from trying to get vaccinated, the steady recovery of the
tourism sector gives evidence that the decision maker of our
President and of the National Coronavirus Command Council,
NCCC to timeously roll out vaccination drives was sound and
well informed.


 
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In February 2022, amongst all categories of accommodation
showed an increase in income levels with guest houses and
guest farm houses recording an increase of 138,7% followed by
hotels with 138,1% and other accommodation which was 53,6.
Poor performance was seen in certain caravan parks and camping
sites which showed a decline of -5,4% during February 2022.
Looking at the February 2022 total income in food and beverage
industry at current prices, it was about R4,99 billion which
was an increase of 24,3% compared to R4,01 billion in February
2021.
When comparing February 2022 to February 2021, all food and
beverage industries showed an increase in income with catering
services showing the highest increase of 57%. In conclusion,
the ANC supports the budget vote because while there might be
decreases due to fiscal constraints, it gives meaning to some
of the issues spelt out in government’s Economic
Reconstruction and Recovery Plan. Most importantly, it
addresses development through the allocation of R393,9 million
to programme 3 which is destinations development which in turn
will create 12 300 work opportunities throughout working for
tourism projects over the medium term, amongst others. I thank
you, hon Acting House Chair.


 
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Mr A M SHAIK EMAM: Hon Chairperson, the NFP will support
Budget Vote 38 tabled here today. Let me start off by saying
the success of this particular department and this particular
sector does not entirely depend on the sector. If you don’t
deal with the issue and the challenges that people face in
this country on the poor condition of the roads, it would
affect particularly local travel and tourism as a whole.
If you do not ensure a safe and secure environment, and we
know the perception internationally that South Africa is not a
safe and secure destination, many countries actually warned
their citizens to stay away from South Africa. Then you have a
problem of the energy sector. If there is no regular supply of
energy and people are coming in not only from other parts of
the world but traveling locally and hotels and tourist
destinations are affected. Of course, once again it would be
affected. If there is not a regular supply of water and
sanitation of course again it’s going to be affected. So, let
us not expect this department to perform miracles while every
other department that contributes in one way or the other to
the success of the Department of Tourism is not up to speed
and not necessarily doing what they are supposed to do.


 
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I quite often hear the word transformation. Yes, not enough is
being done about transformation. But transformation must not
be for the sake of transforming and taking away from the one
to give the other, no. If you saw what happened with the Black
Economic Empowerment, BEE, in this country, it has only
benefited a handful of people, while the majority of the
people remain vulnerable up to this very day.
Let me address another challenge that we have in the country.
Remember that covid had an impact, the insurrection in
KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and other provinces also had an impact,
the flooding has also had an impact. If you look at some of
the tourist destinations like the eThekwini beach, this
municipality cannot even pay for the security on those
beautiful scenic oceans that we have which tourists look
forward to. So, whose fault is that?
I think that the department is doing, but can do a lot more in
encouraging people to come into the country by working
together with tourists’ organizations in all other parts of
the country. The NFP will support this Budget Vote. Thank you
very much, hon Chairperson.


 
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Mr M G E HENDRICKS: Thank you very much, hon Chair. White
tourism has shown its hands by opposing empowerment and
redress in terms of the Black Economic Empowerment, BEE,
legislation and innovative programmes of the department and of
government. White tourist operators want to hold on to their
generational wealth advantages the apartheid government has
given them. We don’t want to hit back and extract reparations
from white tourist outfits or confiscate property and
facilities without compensation.
However, white tourist operators cannot have their cake and
eat it. The decisions of the court with regard to
transformation must be challenged in higher courts. And a
clear message must be sent by voters that these judgments to
retain white privilege is anti-revolutionary. The ruling party
must introduce legislation to strengthen transformation.
Al Jama-ah repeats its call for visas on arrival for
Indonesian tourists, there are about 10 million tourists who
want to visit their Malay ancestors and their families in Cape
Town, Joburg and Port Elizabeth. But this department and the
Department of Home Affairs just don’t want to listen to this


 
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opportunity. A nd has done nothing about it instead of me
raising this in Parliament several times.
In addition to tourist information offices, the department
must use the parliamentary constituency office where people
can access brochure and general information on tourism sites
and opportunities to get into tourism. We have women employed
in the tourism industry but very few own the business. The
Department of Communication and Digital Technologies must get
involved to recruit women with digital skills for the 4th
Industrial Revolution.
We need to invest in the history and tourist information of
indigenous people. In Paarl, where the first political
uprisings occurred, there is no statues, no remembrance walls
and no museums on history of the Poqo uprisings. The Paarl
Museum has a history on the wall between Afrikaners and the
British. There is an area called theDe Oude in the Paarl ...
[Inaudible.] ... where people were removed under the Group
Areas Act. But the existing tourism information does not talk
about this history. If we talk about transforming tourism, we
must spend the budget where transformation is needed. No


 
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matter what the whites have to say. Thank you very much, hon
Chair.
Ms M M GOMBA: Thank you, hon Chair. The Portfolio Committee on
Tourism in the 6th Administration observed that tourism
development has always been skewed in favour of big cities and
towns. In redressing this concern, the committee adopted an
approach that focuses on tourism development and marketing of
tourism products and attractions in villages, townships and
small dorpies [towns]. This is called the Villages, Townships
and Small Dorpies, VTSD, approach. This is meant to ensure
inclusive tourism and development and bring on board the
previously marginalised communities.
In pursuing the VTSD approach, the committee has impressed on
the department to conceptualize inherent project and
programmes. The department implemented the National Department
of Tourism’s Working for Tourism projects, which facilitates
the development of tourism infrastructure projects under the
Expanded Public Works Programme, EPWP. This is done through
labour intensive methods targeted at the youths, women,
unemployed, disabled people and small and medium-sized
enterprises, SMMEs.


 
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In the VTSD, this relates to the diversifying and enhancing
tourism products offerings with specific reference to
improving and upgrading experiences such as tourism routes in
rural and township precincts.
The department implemented the following project amongst
others. Firstly, developing and supporting 30 community based
tourism projects, these are infrastructure projects that
include lodges, guest houses, cultural villages, conference
facilities and other infrastructure developments.
The department intends implementing 30 of these community
based tourism project to worth R573 460 million. Secondly, the
development of tourism plans through the District Development
Model at OR and Waterberg District Municipalities. Thirdly,
piloting the Budget Resort Network and Brand Concept.
Fourthly, development of four township tourism precincts,
Gaeleshewe, Khayelitsha and Mdantsane. Fifthly, the
infrastructure maintenance programme in 19 national parks.
Lastly, encouraging the rotation of national conferences and
meetings to the villages, townships and small dorpies [towns.]
In this regard, five national business events will be hosted
in those villages townships and small dorpies [towns.] and


 
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three national businesses events will be piloted in the same
areas.
Hon Chair, South African Tourism is also supporting emerging
tourism enterprises who need to be included into the main
stream of tourism economy through marketing exposure. This is
done through a number of platforms, including the
participation in Africa’s Travel Indaba. The South African
Tourism will be assisting 1 096 SMMEs, in the Medium-Term
Expenditure Framework, MTEF, period of 2020-21,24 and 25. This
cumulative number of tourism SMMEs will be assisted through
both business events platforms and visitor experience and
hosting itineraries.
The 2022 Africa’s Travel Indaba that was just successfully
hosted from the 3rd to the 5th of May 2022, the South African
Tourism assisted a total of 90 small businesses the ...
[Inaudible.] ... from around South Africa. Those comprises of
ten SMMEs, selected from each province. The SMMEs received
expert coaching ahead of their sponsored Indaba exhibitions.
The tourism training and development, the department continues
to train the tour guides and cooking chefs in order to produce


 
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quality services in the tourism industry. The department is
also supporting tourism SMMEs to be graded through the Tourism
Incentive Programme in order to ensure that there is quality
assurance in the tourism sector.
South African Tourism plans to achieve a target of 5 355
graded establishments in the 2022-23 financial year. Amongst
this will be SMMEs assisted through the Tourism Grading
Support Programme of the Tourism Incentive Programme. Greater
emphasis will be placed on assisting new entrance to be more
sustainable. A specific focus will be on reviewing the grading
system to include emerging products and accommodation of
SMMEs.
Hon Chair, the ANC will always advance the aspirations of all
South Africans through tourism. The ANC supports Vote 38. I
thank you, hon Chair.
Ms H S WINKLER: Thank you, Chair, during the throes of COVID-
19, in a Portfolio Committee on Tourism meeting, where
stakeholders were invited to participate, a tourism business
owner sobbed as he relayed to our committee how he had been
forced to let go many of his desperate employees. I will never


 
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forget the feelings of despair that this gentleman’s response
elicited, and neither will I forget the sense of urgency that
hung thick in the air. On the other hand, by stark contrast,
an atmosphere of lethargy has permeated the present department
and its two Ministers – one come and one gone – that speaks to
an entrenched disconnect between the government and the people
of South Africa.
On Monday, during a portfolio committee meeting, Minister
Sisulu lavished self-congratulatory accolades on herself and
the department. She claimed that she had been invited onto
numerous forums internationally to discuss best practice on
how South Africa had managed to shield the tourism economy
from the devastation caused by the pandemic. I honestly don’t
know whether to laugh or cry at this statement considering
that the sector has been so colossally let down by this
government that hundreds of businesses remain closed and
thousands are still unemployed.
The aforementioned gentleman is one of the 50 000 tourism
businesses that has had to either temporarily or permanently
close down and lay off staff. Now the budget allocation to
this department has decreased in real terms by 6,3%. As the


 
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DA, we too had flagged the potential for misuse of relief
funding, suggesting a rigorous audit and oversight process
with a transparent database of payments. Needless to point
out, this was not implemented and R13 million was incorrectly
paid out through the Tourism Relief Fund and the Relief Fund
for Tourist Guides. When I think of these mismanaged relief
funds, I wonder what this department and its Ministers would
say if they were once again to look at that gentleman and his
employees in the eye.
However, let me add that the issues that beleaguered the
tourism did not begin and end with the COVID-19 pandemic. The
tourism sector has always grossly underperformed considering
its potential as a driver to economic growth and job creation.
The eventual roll-out of e-visas to 14 countries in February
2022, is a step in the right direction. But we cannot afford
to drag our heels any longer on the roll-out to the rest of
the world. Growth has slowed to a snail’s pace and if don’t
open our borders by easing travel, we would not get that
welcoming injection into the economy. Minister Sisulu, you
must exert due pressure on the Minister of Home Affairs to
speed up the number of countries with access to e-visas.


 
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Infrastructure collapse in South Africa is a very real threat
to tourism. No-one is going to visit coastal towns and cities
where authorities have to frequently close beaches because of
faecal matter in the water as a result of sewage spills. As I
speak, the Durban’s beaches on the famous Golden Mile are all
shut down, but this is not only because of the storm. This
predates that. These beach closures have happened because
water infrastructure has all but collapsed in Durban. The very
famous Wilson’s Wharf, once a thriving hub of charter
services, yacht clubs, restaurants and vendors, has become a
veritable ghost town. The owner of a signature restaurant who
regularly calls me in frustration because of the stench of raw
sewage that wafts through his restaurant whilst patrons are
eating, or he cites a layer of plastic pollution and other
debris on the water. ... [Interjections.] ...
The ACTING CHAIRPERSON (Mr F D Xasa): Hon Chabangu, please
switch off your mic. Hon member, proceed.
Ms H S WINKLER: ... And now for the irony, the department has
placed significant emphasis on promoting tourism in towns,
dorpies and villages, but the roads in many rural areas are so
terrible that they are an active hindrance to any tourism. The


 
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road to Underberg in KwaZulu-Natal is so laden with potholes
that they cause serious damages to all. Tourists now chose to
visit some other areas with better infrastructure. For tourism
operators in the area the obstacles to eking out a livelihood
become more insurmountable. Now they have to contend with
power blackouts and water cuts too. This would sound
outlandish, if it weren’t for the fact that this is a story
that not only the people of Underberg endure, but one that
resonates with all South Africans.
If the Department of Tourism continues to work in isolation
outside of an all of government approach, the department’s
efficacy will be undermined. Cross-departmental and
intergovernmental relations is imperative if the recovery and
growth of the tourism sector is indeed the objective of the
Minister and her department.
This cross-collaboration becomes even more critical in the
wake of climate change impacts that will precipitate the
collapse of the entire tourism economy if the sector doesn’t
plan to adapt with resilience to climate shocks. Coastal towns
that depend on tourism are at risk from rising sea levels, and
as temperatures increase water resources and biodiversity are


 
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under threat. Further to this, extreme weather events, more
severe and frequent are likely to wreak havoc. As we are
continually hammered by extreme weather events as we have seen
in KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape, our ability to bounce back
will become nearly impossible.
The Climate Change Bill lacks teeth in certain respects that
will have dire consequences for the tourism economy. The
Bill’s shortcomings include inadequate compliance, enforcement
provisions, missing sectoral targets and carbon budgets.
Without these inclusions, the incentive to curb harmful
emissions is just anaemic.
Minister Sisulu, as the Minister of Tourism in this country,
you have the platform; please use it to exert the type pf
pressure that would give the Bill the teeth it needs. There
are only a few moments in history where one has the
opportunity to occupy an office and they are able to effect
such meaningful change to so many South Africans. I ask you,
please stand tall in conviction and courage in this hour of
our nation’s need.


 
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Ms L S MAKHUBELA-MASHELE: Thank you, Hon House Chairperson,
Members of Parliament, the Minister and Deputy Minister of
Tourism, ladies and gentlemen, greetings. The tourism sector was
once a pillar of hope as a labour intensive industry that
provided opportunities for addressing the triple challenges of
poverty, unemployment and inequality.
This once resilient and promising sector has almost been
decimated by the recent world health pandemic. The COVID-19
pandemic has regressed the gains made by South Africa in growing
tourism and its value chain, ensuring that the sector provided
the much-needed employment opportunities for many South Africans
depending on the jobs in tourism for their livelihood.
The tourism sector remains constrained for the foreseeable
future, and will take a while before the situation returns to
normality. The reality is that there is a new normal for the
tourism sector, and this should be reflected in the current and
future plans of the department and its entity SA Tourism.
Unlike the pessimists, we are however seeing a glimmer of hope
for sector recovery as the international market is starting to
open, international arrivals are starting to pick up, airlines


 
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are coming back to South Africa and business tourism is
returning. We are optimistic and full of hope that the industry
will pick up the pieces and rebuild.
We also note the implementation of the Tourism Sector Recovery
Plan geared towards sector recovery. South African tourism
should demonstrate how South Africa is being prepared for the
new normal in the tourism sector.
Post-COVID-19, we need to rethink future jobs in the sector by
promoting innovation and technology; promoting better travel
facilitation, including enhanced connectivity and tourism visa
policies; fostering resilience, including through promoting
safety and security and crisis communications; and advocating
for Brand South Africa more vigorously.
Strengthening South Africa’s competitiveness in a post-pandemic
world will, therefore, require a new social compact and a
determined implementation of the reforms that will improve the
structure of our economy. In combination, these measures will
enable millions of South Africans to participate in building a
more productive country that contributes to the growth and
development of the country.


 
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In supporting the Tourism Adjustment Appropriations Bill for
Vote 38 - Tourism, which is appropriated for R7,6 billion in
the medium-term ...
The purpose of the Vote is to promote and support the growth
and development of an equitable, competitive, and sustainable
tourism sector which enhances its contribution to the
countries national priorities.
This Budget is expected to enable the facilitation of the
recovery of the industry. Tourism Product Development is key to
unlocking opportunities for our villages, townships, small
dorpies and small towns.
Therefore, unlocking growth through investment promotion and
public-private partnerships in our small towns can help cushion
the devastation in the sector.
We remain concerned that most transformation initiatives are
still in abeyance due to the court interdict on the Tourism
Equity Fund.


 
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We applaud the department’s efforts that continue implementing
soft transformation programmes through training and Small, Micro
and Medium Enterprises, SMMEs, support. However, the funding
programmes meant to be game changers in the transformation of
the sector remain in abeyance due to this court challenges.
We call upon the Minister and the department to seek a relief
for this transformation fund to be reworked, and come up with a
model that will be inclusive to benefit all tourism
stakeholders.
As we pick up the pieces and rebuild, we need to work together
to forge a social compact to include every South African and
every part of our society – our villages, townships, and our
small towns to be tourism hubs. Therefore, product development
is essential to this course.
As we envision and work towards the tourism of the future post-
COVID-19, we have an obligation to put more impetus on
dismantling the systems that continue to exclude the majority
of our people – tourism and its value chain must be geared
towards transformation in the sector and benefit a wide range
of people who were previously disadvantaged.


 
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We need to strengthen our resolve to create policies that will
transform the patterns of ownership in the Tourism sector and
its value chain to ensure that the previously marginalised and
disadvantaged people do benefit in tourism products and value
chain. We, as the ANC, supports Budget Vote 38 and call upon the
Minister and the department to ensure that tourism is
transformed at a faster pace. Thank you, Chair.
The MINISTER OF TOURISM: Hon House Chair, I hope I am audible.
I am extremely regretful for the communication breakdown
during my deliberations. As normal, my speech had already been
made available to Members of Parliament, so I hope not much is
lost, and I hope that perhaps in time we can improve on our
connectivity.
House Chairperson, we are talking about a very fragile and
important sector of our economy. I have listened to some of
the inputs from various members, and what I find shocking is
the lack of patriotism, a lack of empathy with those people
who have given off themselves to be able to provide a living
for themselves and other people in this particular industry.


 
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Making unfounded accusations that are almost tantamount to
being absolutely vulgar I found in many of those instances no
empathy for this particular segment of the economy that has
suffered so much. I am shocked. However, I believe that in
time we will all improve. Tourism contributes significantly to
our economy. Our job is to sell South Africa to the world so
that our people can have jobs, and so that South Africa can
take its place on the stage as one of the most beautiful
countries there is that has overcome enormous obstacles – and
I don’t want to go into most of those obstacles.
We should jointly be working towards reviving this sector. I
don’t remember a single one of those loud mouth members
putting themselves out to go and assist the people of KwaZulu-
Natal when there were floods there, or even bringing to the
department those cleaver ideas that they now have. What has
each one of them done to make sure that they can give support
to the industry that has been under so much strain.
When I say this, I want to come to pose it with a enormous
support that this department has received from the tourism
sector out there, you would be amazed how many of those people
in the tourism industry have come to say “Minister, how can we


 
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help you?”. I am extremely grateful to them because we are
where we are now with our recovery because they came out to
see me and to help, not you who are sitting there pointing
fingers and doing absolutely nothing.
Patriotism is found at the point at which each one of us needs
the other, but here in Parliament, there are those who are
just out there with loud open mouth and nothing to contribute
except their mouths. What is also amazing is how those who
have clever ideas forget that tourism is about land; without
land or access to land, tourism cannot and will not grow.
Those people who have managed to survive this scourge are
those people who had land. Those people who suffered most from
this scourge are those people who do not have land — the
poorest of the poor. And we sit there in Parliament because we
know it all and we say whatever it is that we want to say.
What the people who have suffered the most want to hear from
you is your empathy; how you are going to go out there and
help them, and I didn’t hear much of that coming from that
particular Chamber, House Chairperson.


 
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We have brought to the attention of the portfolio committee
some of the findings of the Auditor-General and we have told
them what we have done with those particular findings, but
they bring them up now because it is some way of showing off.
We have done what needed to be done around those findings of
the Auditor-General. We have actually even made suggestions to
Parliament about how we can change the legislation to ensure
that there is sufficient accountability around those areas
that we discovered were loopholes.
All they do is prattle on in Parliament, most of them, about
inconsequential statements that make them feel like they know
it all. We have indeed lost 470 000 jobs under lockdown in
this sector. Not because South African decided on its own that
it is going into lockdown, but because it was an international
requirement of all of us. All of us had to adhere to the
prescripts of the UN, World Health Organisation. We did that
because it is the right thing to do. We are under lockdown and
we needed to find a way, in our sector, on how to assist our
people because under lockdown there is very little happening.
We are the ones who suffered most and not one of those people
in Parliament now talking so loudly came out to say “We can go


 
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out and help these people who are under so much pressure.”
What I expected from the committee was unqualified support for
most of the hardest hit sector in our economy, which is
tourism. To say to our people who are in the tourism industry
“We care about you, and should you need our help, we will be
out there.” They are just out there to show off about whatever
it is that they want to say, and they fume and spiel
resentment of people who are waiting for supportive sentiments
from some of you out there.
Here we are in this particular portfolio, the most devastated
of all industry – people are largely self-employed with very
little, if anything, to fall back on. The most vulnerable. And
here are Members of Parliament who have an assured salary
putting their contributions in the most negative way. Very few
of them were reaching out to the people who have been affected
to say “We care about what you have been going through. How
can we help?” [Time expired.] ... Thank you, House
Chairperson. I have said what I needed to say. My sincerest
gratitude.
Debate concluded


 
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The Mini-Plenary session rose at 16:10

 


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