Strategies to curb crimes against tourists
Various stakeholders have come together to deliberate on a plan to drastically reduce criminal acts against tourists.
MBOMBELA – The Mpumalanga Tourism Safety Steering Committee, consisting of the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA), the private tourism sector, SAPS and the Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison, met during December to strategise on a plan of action for all relevant parties to lessen crimes committed against tourists in the province.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by the National Police and Tourism Departments in order to launch the joint tourism safety strategy.
“The provincial tourism safety plan came into effect during this past festive season and will be reviewed in March 2020. The plan will see the SAPS implementing quick response and crime preventative measures to ensure that tourists visiting the province are safe and well taken care of,” said Brig Prince Ngobeni, the Nelspruit SAPS station commander.
“It is exciting to see a collaboration between government, private sector and the law enforcement agencies. This shows that by working together, we will be able to safeguard tourists visiting our province and ensure that they have a memorable stay. We will be able to combat all criminal activities and bring the perpetrators to book,” Johannes Nobunga, the CEO of the MTPA, said.
A recent incident involving the sexual assault and rape of a local tourist in Sabie prompted the Kruger Lowveld Chamber of Business and Tourism (KLCBT) to issue a R 50 000 award for information leading to the apprehension of the suspect.
“In the Lowveld, most of us are dependent on tourism for a livelihood, for jobs, and tourism establishments buy from other businesses again. It is a long value chain that needs to be protected. This is why we decided that some sort of intervention is required,” said Linda Grimbeek, COO of the KLCBT.
“Various initiatives were launched to improve the safety of tourists in the region. We would like to thank law enforcement and the KLCBT victim support volunteers who worked tirelessly and selflessly in their free time to assist tourists who have been victims of crime,” Grimbeek said.
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Oupa Pilane, president of the KLCBT, added that his organisation is confident that the MTPA and SAPS plan will expedite the process of handling criminal cases committed against tourists. “We encourage all tourists to familiarise themselves with the various tourism safety tips to ensure that they have a safe stay.”
Anyone with information about the Sabie rape victim’s case may contact their nearest police station, or Capt Nkentshane Noppie on 079-499-8809, in strictest confidentiality.
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