SA Visa regulations going nowhere

Source: WELCOME DLAMINI – Swazi Observer, 09/08/2015

South Africa`s child travel regulations, which are a headache to Swazi
parents and guardians and are being blamed for dwindling tourist
figures in the kingdom, look more likely to continue being in place.



This is despite an assurance from SA Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom
that Cabinet was reviewing the new visa regulations.


impact
"The new visa regulations have had an impact on tourism. Of course,
they have. But Cabinet has decided to assess the unintended
consequences of these regulations. I am confident that we will
approach that meeting with an intention of finding solutions. I don`t
think we should downplay the impact that this has had on our
industry," Hanekom was quoted by the Business Day.


This was welcomed by the Swaziland Tourism Authority, whose CEO Eric
Maseko told a local publication that the regulations had, in the month
of June, seen tourist figures reduced by 16 321 people to 85 981
compared to 102 302 tourists in the same period last year.
"Swaziland had already started feeling the pinch as the number of
tourists was declining sharply.


travelling
"We are happy about the decision and hope it will make travelling much
easier, which could boost tourism statistics positively," Maseko
said.


However, such joy has been short-lived after SA`s Minister of Home
Affairs Malusi Gigaba issued a statement on Thursday saying the new
regulations were going nowhere.


He said perceptions that the new requirements were impossible or
impractical to enforce did not hold water because people were
complying in spite of misinformation and the `talking-down` of South
Africa that has been happening.


Gigaba said statistics showed that the number of children coming into
South Africa had increased despite the regulations.


processed
"According to DHA (department of home affairs) data systems for
recording arrivals and departures at ports of entry, for June 2015,
132 353 children were processed, both arrivals and departures. Of
these, 1 878 were recorded as having not met requirements, placing
compliance levels at 98%. June arrival of foreign children was around
57 436, with departures at 74 917.


"July 2015 volume of minors` movements was 216 259, with 2 052 not
satisfying requirements, placing compliance well over 99%, showing
patriotic citizens and law-abiding foreign nationals understand why
it`s important to protect the most vulnerable among us – the children.
July arrivals for foreign children were 128 839, with their departures
at 87 420," Gigaba said.


He said there was no evidence to suggest that since the regulations
came in place there has been a decline in the number of tourists
coming into South Africa and that jobs had been lost as a
result.


observations
"When it released the 2014 Tourism report, on 4 August 2015,
Statistics South Africa stated that the salient characteristics of the
2014 tourists did not differ much from observations from previous
years. It said in recent years, there has been a general slow-down in
the rate of growth of tourists arriving in the country," Gigaba said.
He said the Department of Home Affairs had reiterated its belief that
with collaborative efforts with tourism and other stakeholders, much
could be achieved in the interest of all concerned.
"The new regulations specific to minors, are for the protection of
children and not in opposition to tourism," he said, adding: "A birth
certificate is important for identification, serves as proof of
relationship of child to parents and aids in verifying consent to
travel."


guidelines
He said the regulations were not onerous, but rationale and they
applied similarly in some countries, including guidelines from the US,
UK, Australia, Canada and Schengen countries.


As Swaziland`s schools embark on mid-term break beginning this past
Friday, children are embarking on educational trips to South Africa,
mainly to Durban.


Parents and guardians have been busy preparing affidavits that the
children will carry with them so they could be allowed entry to South
Africa as proof that there has been consent for their travels.