Destination Development Manager for Eastern Cape Parks Tourism Agency (ECPTA), Fezeka Mlungu, confirmed that they had hosted a march with the aim of fighting the high rate of tourist muggings in Mthatha.
These officials, together with stakeholders, marched from Ultra City Garage to Nelson Mandela Museum in Mthatha, last week.
She said that in the past few years, crime has increased, and tourists are robbed when they pass Mthatha by people who pretend to be traffic officers.
According to her, their cars are stopped by these criminals from Mthatha, and robbed.
“We felt that, as the tourism sector, we cannot sit back and watch this behaviour happening because this is killing our tourism.
“We then decided to work together with other stakeholders, like Nelson Mandela Museum Tourism institutions, King Sabatha Dalindyebo (KSD) Local Municipality, Mhlontlo Local Municipality, etc.,” said Mlungu.
She added that they were saying that this behaviour should stop, and the rate of unemployment is the big challenge here in the Eastern Cape.
Mlungu said that if the tourism businesses are shutting down, it means whoever is employed in this sector will lose jobs, and the economy will decrease.
She confirmed that they have high crime spot areas here in the Eastern Cape, where they work with police officers to fight this problem.
“We have one at Mdumbi in Coffee Bay, where tourists were mugged between February and March this year; there was a break-in and some of the tourists were assaulted in the same area, last week. We are saying this thing must come to an end, because it will affect the citizens of this province.”
According to her, there are fewer than five tourists that were mugged this year, so far.
She confirmed that they have a lot of programmes, the first one being that they encourage them to use tour operators and tour guides that are registered.
Mlungu said those tour guides or operators have badges that indicate that they are registered with ECPTA.
“We also have an app that we publicise to tourists that are coming from this province, that they must use it, so that when they have a problem, they can get help.
“We have awarenesses we are doing, even where they take cars in the car hire agencies, we tell them that if the person is going alone, not with the tour operator, he/she must use this app.
“Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Rural and Economic Development of King Sabatha Dalindyebo Local Municipality, Councillor Mkhanyiseli Dudumayo, said the issue of the protection fee is one of the major problems, because it chases tourists away.
He added that maybe people do not know that through private partnerships tourism produces a lot of job opportunities.
“We have a responsibility to encourage the communities to be involved in ensuring that when tourists come to this area of KSD, they are protected,” he said.
The owner of Nodi’s Home Stay in Qunu, Nosinodi Mandela (60), said she started her business in 2018, and in Qunu they do not have this problem at the moment, but if it is happening in Mthatha it affects them, because the tourists are afraid of sleeping in their homes due to this.
“They always ask if they are safe first, because they feel that they are not. Some of the perpetrators who are doing this are our children who robbed them. Now they are afraid, and we end up losing business due to this challenge. We also appeal to those who are doing this to stop it, because it really affects a lot of people,” said Mandela.
