29 Sep 2015 – Tourism Update Arrivals from emerging and traditional markets to South Africa are down. Overseas tourist arrivals to South Africa dropped 13% year on year for the month of June, according to the latest tourist arrival stats released by Sta

Source: Marianne Merten - IOL, 28/09/2015

Johannesburg - Home Affairs has suspended 26 officials in a crackdown
on document fraud and corruption, but Minister Malusi Gigaba remained
dismissive about claims the new visa regulations negatively affected
tourism.


Speaking at Sunday`s governance and administration media briefing,
Gigaba said opposition to the new visa regimen, including unabridged
birth certificates for travelling minors, was based on "lies" and
"cooked up figures" - and criticised the domestic tourism industry for
"not selling South Africa as well as it should".


The minister said a drop in tourism arrivals was anticipated when the
new visa regimen came into force, but numbers would pick up again as
people learnt to comply.


There were factors other than the visa rules in play in tourism,
including misconceptions South Africa was also affected by the ebola
outbreak in three countries in West Africa.


However, Gigaba acknowledged the inter-ministerial committee
established to look into and redress "potential unintended
consequences" had made many proposals.


He declined to outline his own ministry`s proposals, as the committee
chairman, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, would "at the right time
make the announcement".


Gigaba`s visa comments follow a parliamentary reply that Home Affairs
had established just three visa processing centres in Europe and 13 in
Asia.


No visa processing centres are established in South America, the reply
also said in response to the DA`s parliamentary question, which did
not include the US, any other countries or the African
continent.


"The department is in the process of developing an e-permit system
with an intention to roll it out in all South African missions abroad
and also extend the visa facilitation services centres in countries
where we receive mostly skilled persons for our economy," said the
minister`s parliamentary reply published last week.


However, definitely under way was the Home Affairs clampdown on
officials under Operation Bvisa Masina - Tshivenda for "throw out the
rot".


Gigaba on Sunday confirmed 26 officials had been suspended, mostly
over fake documentation and liaising with syndicates who then
approached permit applicants for bribes to facilitate these documents.
"Our counter-corruption unit is quite busy… (and) is setting up sting
operations with the members involved," he said.


The Home Affairs anti-corruption measures come as the directive on
municipal managers and chief financial officers minimum qualifications
appears to be bearing fruit as compliance is enforced.


As of June, 238 municipal managers and 231 municipal chief financial
officers in the country`s 278 councils are suitably qualified in line
with the minimum competencies set out by the co-operative governance
back-to-basics programme. Announced a year ago by Co-operative
Governance Minister Pravin Gordhan, the programme aims to get councils
to deliver services from water to pothole repairs effectively and
efficiently, while also issuing accurate bills.


Twenty-two municipal appointments have been reversed as candidates as
they had not met minimum qualification standards.


Gigaba said government would look into taking steps against those
interview panels which allowed patently unqualified people to be
short-listed in the first place.
Political Bureau