DATE:
28 JANUARY 2009 - Cabinet has approved the
use of equitable redress as the only option
for the settlement of outstanding land claims
in the Kruger National Park (KNP). The Directors
General of the Departments of Environmental
Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) and Land Affairs
(DLA) jointly informed the affected community
leaders of the claimants in Limpopo and
Mpumalanga provinces on 23 January 2009
of the cabinet decision taken on 03 December
2008.
The decision not to
restore the land rights in the Kruger National
Park, which is considered a national and
international asset, was taken after careful
consideration and is intended to strike
a balance between the rights of the claimant
communities and the interests of society
as a whole.
Equitable redress refers
to the awarding of alternative land and/or
financial compensation in settlement of
a valid land claim lodged against the State
by an individual or a community. The State
will retain title to the land within this
national park.
The equitable redress
option proposed by the State includes the
awarding of financial compensation and /
or alternative land, possibly coupled with
other benefits for claimant communities
which may include: guaranteed access to
ancestral and traditional sites and graves
on agreed calendar days for traditional
and ritual commemorations; acknowledgment
of the history of communities when naming
facilities and camps, environmental education
and learning for children and youth; job
opportunities; preferential procurement
opportunities; introduction of a “community
levy” to be levied on all visitors to be
channeled into a Community Trust Fund to
fund future community development projects;
broad-based BEE opportunities and equity
in commercial concessions. The additional
benefits will be finalized subject to further
engagement with the affected claimants.
The DLA will conduct
a series of meetings with the community
leaders in collaboration with DEAT and South
African National Parks (SANParks) to address
issues regarding support and the proposed
benefit packages offered as part of the
settlement agreement.
The community leaders
welcomed the discussion with government
as well as the proposed broad beneficiation
package that could be available once the
claims are settled. A number of community
leaders however indicated that they are
not in agreement with the non restoration
of title to the successful claimants.
It was agreed that further
consultation will take place with all the
affected communities on the implications
of the Cabinet decision. The department
of Land Affairs will lead this process with
attendance of all the consultations by the
Department of Environmental Affairs and
Tourism and SANParks.
Department of Environmental Affairs and
Tourism (DEAT)
Mr Ishaam Abader, Deputy Director General:
Corporate Affairs
Department of Land Affairs (DLA)
Ms Pulane Molefe, Communication Manager:
Commission on Restitution of Land Rights
TOURISM TOOLKIT LAUNCHED
AT LOCAL GOVERNMENT INDABA
ISSUED BY GCIS ON 28
JANUARY 2009 - 26 JANUARY 2009 - “The importance
of the role of local government in the successful
growth of the tourism industry cannot be
overemphasised and the examples of its pivotal
role are many.” These were Marthinus van
Schalkwyk’s, Minister of Environmental Affairs
and Tourism, words when he launched the
first version of the Tourism Toolkit at
the first Local Government Tourism Indaba
in Cape Town today.
He went on to say that
Local government is an engine room that
drives the planning and management of South
Africa’s natural and cultural assets.
The Local Government
Indaba on Tourism is hosted by the National
Department of Environmental Affairs and
Tourism from 26-27 January 2009 at the Cape
Town International Convention Centre (CTICC)
The intention of the
Tourism Toolkit is to clarify how to complete
a basic tourism plan within a South African
local municipality. The toolkit also makes
an important contribution towards advancing
competence in tourism planning at a local
level and the setting of minimum standard
for such plans.
The toolkit is a practical
document which amongst others helps ensure
the appropriate investment in infrastructure
and services for tourism; assists with the
development of community tourism plans and
provides case studies as examples of good
practice.
The two day Indaba sees
delegates from across the tourism sector
converging under the theme, “Unlocking Tourism
Potential at a Local Sphere of Government.”
The Minister highlighted
that local government also provides the
core utilities and infrastructure on which
the tourism industry is based. “It furthermore
manages attractions such as sports stadia,
convention centres, parks, events and other
amenities. Local government also enables
local tourism management through the provision
of visitor information and through being
the primary source of funding for regional
and local tourism organisations,” he said.
Van Schalkwyk said that
there were a number of challenges that are
hampering an integrated and co-ordinated
approach. This includes that most local
authority staff do not have a collective
approach to planning for tourism or destination
management. In some cases local government
does not use national and provincial information
for tourism planning.
This conference aims
to recognise and empower local government
in terms of tourism management as well as
ensure ongoing co-operation between the
various spheres of government.
Our department remains
committed to working with local government
to ensure that the benefits of tourism are
shared as widely as possible. The Departments’
commitment to working with local government
is illustrated amongst others by the fact
that since 1999, we have been financially
involved in 335 tourism projects in the
nine provinces, aimed at enhancing tourism
and improving infrastructure at a local
level, said the Minister.
To date, more than R1
billion has been spent on these projects
and these initiatives have contributed to
the creation of 1480 permanent jobs and
more than 4 million temporary work days.
Van Schalkwyk encouraged local authorities
to continue to work with the department
to ensure that these projects are completed
successfully. This will further contribute
to job creation and the transfer of skills
where it is most needed.
During his address,
Mr Garth Strachan, MEC for Finance, Economic
Development and Tourism, Western Cape said
that this province is South Africa’s most
developed tourism region and the sector
continues to grow. Tourism has a 10% share
of employment and new jobs are being created
in this sector.
He added that the Annual
Development indicators report of 2008 states
the strong growth over the last decade has
had a significant impact on employment creation
but the sector still needs further transformation
so that the benefits of growth are more
equitably shared.
Van Schalkwyk assured
delegates that with the effects of the international
economic crisis the Department is still
confident that with today marking 500 days
left before kick the off for the World Cup,
the target of 10 million visitors in 2010
will be reached.
He concluded by saying;
”Our country continues to be a value-for-money
destination and with international events
like the Confederations Cup and World Cup
line up, there will be opportunities in
abundance and tourism will retain the important
role it plays in our economic growth.”
Judith van der Merwe
Tumi Lesolang
Roopa Singh
ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT
OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AND TOURISM ON
26 JANUARY 2009
SPEECH DELIVERED BY MARTHINUS VAN SCHALKWYK,
MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AND TOURISM,
AT THE OPENING OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT TOURISM
INDABA,
26 JANUARY 2009, CAPE TOWN
The state of tourism in South Africa
Despite the realities presented by the economic
slowdown, 2008 remained a buoyant year for
the South African tourism industry. The
latest available figures for foreign arrivals,
for the first ten months of 2008, show a
strong increase in arrivals of 5.4% from
January to October. This follows an excellent
growth rate of 8.3% in 2007, a year during
which we exceeded 9 million foreign arrivals
to our country.
As we examine the statistics for the first
ten months of 2008, we have to note that
we have begun to see some decreases in the
month-on-month figures when comparing 2008
to 2007. Arrivals from North America remained
stable compared to October 2007 and we saw
increases in arrivals from Australasia (6.3%)
and the Middle East (5.9%). We however experienced
decreases in arrivals of 6.5% from Europe
and 4.6% from Central and South America.
Our industry is by no means immune to the
effects of the international economic crisis,
but we are still confident that we will
reach our target of 10 million visitors
in 2010. Our country continues to be a value-for-money
destination and with international events
like the Confederations Cup and World Cup
lined up, there will be opportunities in
abundance and tourism will retain the important
role it plays in our economic growth.
Tourism and Local Government
In order to ensure that we maximise the
potential of our country and the vibrancy
offered by its people, it is vital that
all role-players in the industry share their
skills, knowledge and talent. This includes
forging partnerships between government
at all levels.
Our department remains
committed to working with local government
to ensure that the benefits of tourism are
shared as widely as possible. This is amongst
others illustrated by the fact that since
1999, we have been financially involved
in 335 tourism projects in the nine provinces,
aimed at enhancing tourism and improving
infrastructure at a local level.
To date, more than R1 billion has been spent
on these projects and these initiatives
have contributed to the creation of 1480
permanent jobs and more than 4 million temporary
work days. I would like to encourage local
authorities to continue to work with us
to ensure that these projects are completed
successfully. This will further contribute
to job creation and the transfer of skills
where it is most needed.
The importance of the role of local government
in the successful growth of the tourism
industry cannot be overemphasised and the
examples of its pivotal role are many.
Local government is an engine room that
drives the planning and management of South
Africa’s natural and cultural assets. Tourism
relies on having these resources in a healthy
state. Local government also provides the
core utilities and infrastructure on which
the tourism industry is based.
It furthermore manages attractions such
as sports stadia, convention centres, parks,
events and other amenities. Local government
also enables local tourism management through
the provision of visitor information and
through being the primary source of funding
for regional and local tourism organisations.
There are, however, a number of challenges
that are hampering an integrated and co-ordinated
approach. This includes that most local
authority staff do not have a collective
approach to planning for tourism or destination
management. In some cases local government
does not use national and provincial information
for tourism planning.
This conference aims to recognise and empower
local government in terms of tourism management
as well as ensure ongoing co-operation between
the various spheres of government.
As part of reaching these goals, I am very
pleased to be able to launch the draft Tourism
Planning Toolkit for Local Government. The
intention of the toolkit is to clarify how
to complete a basic tourism plan within
a South African local municipality. The
toolkit also makes an important contribution
towards advancing competence in tourism
planning at a local level and the setting
of minimum standard for such plans.
We are extremely proud of the fact that
the Toolkit is a practical document. It
amongst others:
• Provides research and management systems
to help with the obtaining of information,
preparation of strategic tourism plans and
assessment of their effectiveness.
• Assists local authorities in their strategic
and financial planning.
• Helps ensure the appropriate investment
in infrastructure and services for tourism.
• Assists with the development of community
tourism plans.
• Describes how relevant legislation can
be used for sustainable tourism development.
• Provides case studies as examples of good
practice.
Future challenges and strategic direction
I have already made it very clear that we
have a lot to be optimistic about when it
comes to our tourism industry. We have seen
phenomenal growth over the last number of
years, but we have to take cognisance of
the international realities of economic
pressure and increased competition for tourism
spend.
In this context, it is more important than
ever that Brand South Africa is promoted
seamlessly and distinctively. This requires
an integrated approach from all of us. In
addition, we recognise that a visitor’s
holiday experience is always further enhanced
by good service, which is why we are very
proud of the Service Excellence programme
we will be implementing this year in partnership
with the Tourism Business Council. I would
like to appeal to local government stakeholders
to work with us to encourage product owners
to take part in these training programmes,
as it is an investment in customer satisfaction
and the generation of future business.
Our department is also in the process of
finalising a strategy for this sector for
the next five years in response to the changes
we have seen in the global arena and the
local tourism marketplace. Our vision is
to see tourism valued as one of the leading
economic contributors to a sustainable South
African economy. I believe this is entirely
possible if we harness the power of our
collective action and if each level of government
continues to maximise the positive impact
it can have on the tourism industry.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a cohesive approach will
enable us to position ourselves better,
to proactively identify challenges and opportunities
and to ensure that tourism continues to
benefit our country on many levels. There
are obstacles to be faced and there is hard
work ahead, but every step we take will
be easier and advance us even further, provided
we take it together. I thank you.
Enquiries: Ronel Bester
