DA petitioning government to open tourism sector

The DA says due to the country’s lockdown regulations, many previously flourishing businesses have been decimated and hundreds of thousands of jobs have been lost.

According to the party, the petition, launched on August 10, is designed to pressure government to allow travel between provinces so as to encourage more people to stay at guest houses, hotels and other holiday resorts.

“We are launching a petition that calls on government to allow South Africans to travel to any province that they may wish and be permitted to stay at any holiday resort, lodge or any other type of accommodation while also being permitted to enjoy all activities on offer at any of the tourism and hospitality facilities.

“In the last few weeks, the various sectors within the tourism, hospitality and restaurant industries have been peacefully demonstrating against government’s lockdown regulations, which is economically crippling these sectors.

“The Minister of No Tourism, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, has even acknowledged that numerous jobs have and will be lost within these sectors. This is a huge indictment on and an admission of failure by this government, for Minister Kubayi-Ngubane in particular,” said Manny de Freitas, DA Shadow Minister of Tourism, in a statement.

The DA encourages continued pressure by these sectors against what it described as “authoritarian job-killing government which is causing a daily loss of R748-million for the industry”.
South Africans are encouraged to sign and distribute this petition as widely as possible.

“The petition will then be officially handed to parliament when the DA will request that the demands are adhered to, thus saving livelihoods as well as lives.”

The petition can be accessed at https://www.opentourismnow.co.za

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