The Minister of Home Affairs, Malusi Gigaba, and Minister of Tourism, Derek Hanekom, have failed to safeguard the long-term security of the South African tourism industry by refusing to halt the implementation of electronic visas.
   

   
I will today, in terms of the Parliamentary rules, request that the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Tourism, Beatrice Ngcobo, to summon both Ministers to the Portfolio Committee so as to answer tough questions on how tourism to South Africa will be affected by these visas.
   

   
The use of biometric visas is set to come into operation today, along with a host of other immigration regulations. 
   

   
The failure to implement electronic visas will ultimately cost the South African tourism sector by making it more difficult to attract visitors to South Africa.
   

   
As matters stand, Chinese tour agents report that they expect a 70% decline in the number of Chinese tourists to South Africa, as it will now only be practical for Chinese tourists from Shanghai and Beijing to visit South Africa.
   

   
In failing to implement electronic visas, in line with other countries such as Zambia and Turkey, Minister Gigaba, during his announcement of a new task team to investigate the impact of the contested new immigration regulations, failed to seize an opportunity to act in the best interest of South African tourism.
   

   
Electronic visas will drastically cut the turnaround time for the issuing of travel documentation, and are in fact more secure than existing permits.
   

   
Despite the threat to the sector, the Minister of Tourism has largely kept his head in the sand, seemingly refusing to take any action to prevent harm to jobs in tourism.
   
 
   
On numerous occasions the DA has called on the Minister to act in the best interest of jobs in the sector – a call that has been clearly ignored.
   

   
The times has come for them to provide answers to Parliament.

Issued by DA