Durban - With the dispute between the tourism and home affairs departments over the new visa regulations unresolved, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Senzo Mchunu has expressed concern over the affect on tourism in the province, and wants to be part of the solution.
Speaking during the provincial government’s executive council conference in Durban on Wednesday, Mchunu said he could sense that the two departments were far from a solution.
He was addressing MECs, mayors and senior government managers at provincial and local level.
“I don’t think we are anywhere near resolving it, judging from remarks that are thrown around,” said Mchunu.
The departments have locked horns over the new regulations, which came into effect in July. They require that foreign and local children travelling in or out of the country have unabridged birth certificates and visas with details of both parents.
One parent travelling alone with a child also had to have an affidavit declaring that he or she had permission to travel alone with the child and a court order declaring him or her to be the guardian of the child, or the death certificate of the other parent.
Home Affairs instituted the amendments chiefly to prevent cases in which one parent might take a child, for good, into or out of South Africa without the other parent’s consent. Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom raised concern that this was affecting tourism numbers, as it would make it complicated for some tourists to acquire the necessary documents.
Mchunu said the issue was dragging on too long.
“We must as a province play a role so we ensure that the affected departments find one another. The quicker the better,” he said.
Mchunu said he was concerned about the impact on international tourism. Tourism was the backbone of the province’s economy.
“KZN would be the biggest loser.”
He said the Commonwealth Games delegations were “full of appreciation” for the beauty of the province.
“They have become ambassadors of the province. It is in this regard that we must up the stake as the province, in terms of resolving the debate between Home Affairs and Tourism,” Mchunu said.
The spokesman for the Department of Tourism, Praveen Naidoo, said the matter between the departments was handled by an inter-ministerial committee headed by Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Ronnie Mamoepa, said the committee, which met in Cape Town two weeks ago, was working around the clock to reach a solution. He said it would meet again again next week.
Statistics from South African Tourism showed that foreign tourism had already dwindled by the time the act was passed. Between April 2014 and April this year it had decreased by about 45 000, from about 144 700.
The head of Durban Tourism, Philip Sithole, said the act could yet be blamed for the decrease of foreign tourists.
“Ebola, even though it happened elsewhere in the continent, overseas people think that it affected the whole continent.
“Also the economic depression is another factor. But there is a concern that in the long term, the act would affect tourism,” he said.
The Mercury