9 March 2000
THE Ministry of Environmental Affairs and Tourism today expressed its outrage at the news that a group of elderly tourists were stranded in a Cape Town by their tour organiser.
The Ministry also added that Ms Mankoko Molete has not received any money from the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism. She applied for funds for a waste management project in Soweto. It was one of a number of projects that applied for a grant from the poverty alleviation funds dedicated to job-creating waste management programmes.
The Department had signed off a letter of allocation and the business plan on Monday this week, but no money has or will be deposited in the project’s account as the Department withdrew the letter of allocation today on reading the news that this was used as surety on a hotel bill for a tour party.
The Ministry welcomed the efforts by the Cape Town and Western Cape tourism authorities for helping the stranded tourists.
The Department foresaw the problem of tour operators or a guide misleading the public and the Tourism Amendment Bill was introduced into Parliament last year to stop these practices. The Tourism Amendment Bill, which is currently under discussion by the portfolio and select committee, makes it a criminal offence for anyone to act as a tour guide/operator/organiser for remuneration without the necessary registration with the national body. Furthermore there are penalties proposed for registered guides/operators/organisers who do not fulfill their obligations to their paying clients. These penalties include losing their registration.
The Bill has provisions to discipline, penalize and disqualify people whose practices undermine tourism in this country through fly-by-night practices or bad service. The Ministry believes that the treatment of the elderly tourists from Gauteng is totally unacceptable and we are putting in place measures to make sure that it cannot happen again.
Inquiries: JJ Tabane: Media Liaison Director 082 465 6166
tabane@iafrica.com
Issued by Didi Moyle: Special Adviser to the Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
Telephone: 27 21 465 7240/1 or 27 12 3110 3611
Fax: 27 21 465 3216 or 27 12 322 0082
082 808 5108
moyle@mweb.co.za