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Published on : Thursday, February 18, 2021
As tourist buses visit historic places like the Bo-Kaap in Cape Town regularly and take snapshots, locals of the region only benefit if they can become owners of the tourism sector, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, the Tourism Minister said on Tuesday in the parliament.
She was part of a team to brief the Tourism Portfolio Committee of the Parliament on the new R1 1.2 billion tourism equity fund declared this January by President Cyril Ramaphosa. The fund comprise grant financing as well as debt financing.
The main target is to hearten 51% black ownership companies to take part in tourism in a financially feasible and sustainable manner. Beneficiaries comprise rural and community businesses to fight poverty and inequality. The aim will comprise women, young people and people with disabilities.
Faiez Jacobs, Committee member, informed the minister that, in his view, there are several tourism-related activities occurring all over South Africa every day, but “our people” remain hugely marginalized.
“Tourist buses come to Bo-Kaap in Cape Town every day, but ‘our people’ are like animals in [a] Zoo. Everyone takes photos of them and learns about their slave history and Muslim history, but they are not the owners of tourism in our region. We can say the same thing about areas on the Cape as we do in Langa, Swellendam and others, “he commented.
“We want to make sure the Tourism Equity Fund is accessible and manageable, and not just ticking targets. We need to make sure we are helping our marginalized communities ensure that the bureaucratic process doesn’t exclude those flagged for the fund. It’s better to give. ” A little money for more people than a large sum for just a few, “said Jacobs.
He has decided with the minister that tourism in South Africa needs to be adjusted.
“It cannot stay ‘lily white’ but must encompass all cultures, including the development of township and village tourism, to bring people to these areas and ensure that transformation takes place,” he said.
Tourism committee member Hlanganani Gumbi (DA) explained that it was crucial to cut red tape for tourism businesses and those keen on getting associated. He advised that tourism businesses should be sorted for free – which the committee has called for in the past – and that support will be ushered to the ones who try to make an entry into the industry with tax breaks. Besides, he believes that “proper policing” in tourist areas would put the financial burden on businesses to fall back on private security.
Tags: Bo-Kaap in Cape Town