FRIDAY, 19 MAY 2000 __

                PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
                                ____

The House met at 09:02.

The Chairperson of Committees took the Chair and requested members to observe a moment of silence for prayers or meditation.

ANNOUNCEMENTS, TABLINGS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS - see col 000.

                          NOTICES OF MOTION

The CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY: Chairperson, I give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the ANC:

That the House -

(1) notes the recent statement by Prime Minister Tony Blair, supporting President Thabo Mbeki’s approach of quiet diplomacy in the Zimbabwean crisis;

(2) believes that -

   (a)  this statement confirms our long held view that quiet diplomacy
       is contributing significantly to the resolution of problems in
       Zimbabwe; and

   (b)  the increasing support of the President's approach reflects the
       ascendancy of the voice of reason;

(3) welcomes the statements by Mr Blair; and

(4) hopes that Britain will honour its pledge of financing the land reform programme in Zimbabwe.

[Applause.]

Mr M L DA CAMARA: Chairperson, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the DP:

That the House -

(1) notes that no member of the ANC in the Mpumalanga legislature rose in defence of Premier Mahlangu during a motion of no confidence in the Premier, moved by the Leader of the Opposition in that province;

(2) recognises that Premier Mahlangu appears to be without supporters in Mpumalanga, even within his own party;

(3) observes that the ANC has no answer to the appalling record of corruption, mismanagement and broken promises which has marked the Premier’s time in office; and

(4) calls on the President to reconsider Premier Mahlangu’s appointment to this important position.

[Interjections.]

Mrs S A SEATON: Mr Chairman, I give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move: That the House -

(1) notes with concern the escape of eight awaiting-trial prisoners from the holding cells of the Johannesburg magistrates’ court recently; and

(2) calls -

   (a)  for strong and urgent co-operation between the Department of
       Justice, the Department of Safety and Security, incorporating
       the SA Police Service, and the Department of Correctional
       Services to deal with escapes while in police custody;

   (b)  on the Department of Safety and Security to investigate fully
       the possibility of police involvement in the escape and, if this
       is found to be the case, to take appropriate disciplinary
       measures against those police officers responsible.

Mr T M GONIWE: Chairperson, I give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the ANC: That the House -

(1) notes -

   (a)  the strides made by our Government in fighting crime;

   (b)  the great progress made in fighting vehicle hijackings in
       Gauteng;

   (c)  the elimination of violence and massacres in KwaZulu-Natal;

   (d)  that the Asset Forfeiture Unit has confiscated assets obtained
       from the proceeds of criminal activity worth R75 million to
       date;

   (e)  that major advances have been made in combating drug trafficking
       in the Western Cape; and

   (f)  the continued success of Operation Crackdown;

(2) believes that these facts bear testimony to the commitment of the ANC- led Government to combating crime; and

(3) commends the Government for its commitment to reduce levels of crime and thereby enhance the safety and security of all citizens.

[Applause.]

Dr E A SCHOEMAN: Mnr die Voorsitter, ek gee hiermee kennis dat ek op die volgende sittingsdag sal voorstel:

Dat die Huis -

(1) daarvan kennis neem dat die grondbesettingsdebakel in Zimbabwe die gronddebat in Suid-Afrika en Namibië op die spits dryf;

(2) daarvan kennis neem dat uitlatings soos dat blankes eiendom onregmatig bekom het, blankes grondpryse kunsmatig hoog hou om herverdeling te verhoed en afsettings van plase oorwegend onregmatig is, onnodige emosies ontketen, wat enersyds kan lei tot grondbesettings, soos waarmee in die Noord-Kaap gedreig word, of andersyds kan lei tot ‘n afname in welwillendheid en verswakkende tussengroepverhoudings;

(3) van mening is dat gewaak moet word teen uitsprake soos dat eiendomsbelasting as ‘n instrument vir grondherverdeling gebruik sal word, die Wet op Verblyfsekerheid versterk moet word sodat vervolgings teen boere meer effektief kan wees en die Wet op Onteiening gewysig gaan word sodat markwaarde ‘n kleiner of selfs geen rol sal speel nie; en

(4) daarop let dat die stilswye van die President oor hierdie kardinale aangeleenthede aanleiding gee tot omstandighede wat die stabilitiet en sekuriteit van ons samelewing bedreig.

[Tyd verstreke.] (Translation of Afrikaans notice of motion follows.)

[Dr E A SCHOEMAN: I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day I shall move:

That the House -

(1) notes that the land occupation debacle in Zimbabwe is bringing the land debate in South Africa and Namibia to a head;

(2) notes that statements such as that whites acquired land unlawfully, whites are keeping land prices artificially high in order to prevent redistribution, and evictions from farms are predominantly unlawful, unleash emotions unnecessarily which, on the one hand, can lead to land occupations, as is being threatened in the Northern Cape and, on the other, can lead to a decline in goodwill and deteriorating inter- group relations;

(3) is of the opinion that statements such as the following should be guarded against, namely that property tax will be used as an instrument for land redistribution, that the Security of Tenure Act must be strengthened so that prosecutions against farmers can be more effective and that the Expropriation Act is going to be amended so that market value will play a smaller role, or even no role at all; and

(4) notes that the President’s silence on these vital issues is resulting in circumstances which threaten the stability and security of our society.

[Time expired.]]

Chief N Z MTIRARA: Chairperson, I give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the UDM:

That the House -

(1) recognises the significance of a meeting of the coalition of amakhosi of South Africa with the President of the Republic and shares the concerns of the amakhosi and their communities;

(2) notes that the concerns of the amakhosi are, inter alia, that the certification of the final Constitution is coached in vague terms and that the provisions for the role of the amakhosi at local government level create confusion;

(3) further notes that the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act does not provide for the role of traditional authorities in local government structures, and that the new demarcation incorporates land under the jurisdiction of traditional authorities and their communities into urban municipalities;

(4) recognises that traditional authorities are de facto local government structures in the rural areas and should be transformed and recognised as the primary level of rural local government; and

(5) calls on the Government to accept the recommendations by the task group of amakhosi that local government elections be postponed until problems pertaining to the demarcation process and the legislative processes for traditional communities have been resolved amicably.

[Interjections.] [Time expired.]

Mr S J LEEUW: Chairperson, I give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the ANC:

That the House - (1) notes the comments by the spokesperson of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mr Simon Ngomane, regarding the implementation of the Domestic Violence Act;

(2) regards with concern the report that victims and communities still prefer to keep quiet and therefore indirectly condone domestic violence;

(3) welcomes the report that the Justice College has trained 850 magistrates, prosecutors and court clerks, who are, in turn, running domestic violence courses to sensitise their colleagues on humane and sensitive ways to deal with domestic violence crimes; and

(4) calls upon all who have knowledge of or are victims of domestic violence to speak out in order to bring the perpetrators of this most cowardly crime to book.

[Applause.]

Genl C L VILJOEN: Mnr die Voorsitter, ek gee hiermee kennis dat ek op die volgende sittingsdag namens die VF sal voorstel:

Dat die Huis -

(1) daarvan kennis neem dat die omstrede konsepwetgewing op die beheer van vuurwapens vandag in die Huis ter tafel gelê word;

(2) sy kommer uitspreek omdat die doel van die wet is om wettige wapenbesit te beperk, terwyl onwettige wapens in oorvloed beskikbaar is;

(3) met kommer kennis neem van die reaksie oor hierdie wetsontwerp onder die boeregemeenskap, wat weens die gevaar van plaasmoorde vir selfbeskerming en ter beskerming van hul gesinne en plaaswerkers, meer as net een wapen per boer nodig het;

(4) derhalwe besluit dat -

   (a)  geen wapens van bestaande wettige lisensiehouers weggeneem mag
       word -


       (i)   wat nodig is vir selfverdediging in die omstandighede waar
              so 'n persoon bly nie, met inbegrip van outomatiese en
              semi-outomatiese wapens; en

       (ii)  wat 'n erfstuk in die familie van so 'n bestaande
              lisensiehouer is nie; en


   (b)  ruim voorsiening in die wet gemaak moet word vir wapens van
       bestaande lisensiehouers wat kultuuraktiwiteite soos jag en
       skyfskiet beoefen. (Translation of Afrikaans notice of motion follows.)

[Gen C L VILJOEN: I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day I shall move on behalf of the FF:

That the House -

(1) notes that the controversial draft legislation on control over firearms is being tabled in the House today;

(2) expresses its concern because the aim of this legislation is to restrict the legitimate possession of firearms while illegal firearms are available in abundance;

(3) notes with concern the reaction to this Bill of the farming community which, owing to the danger of farm murders, needs more than one firearm per farmer, for self defence and to protect their families and farmworkers;

(4) therefore resolves that -

   (a)  no firearms may be confiscated from existing legitimate licence
       holders which -


       (i)   are needed for self defence, owing to the circumstances in
              which such a person is living, including automatic and
              semi-automatic weapons; and

       (ii)  are family heirlooms of such an existing licence holder;
              and


   (b)  ample provision must be made in the legislation for the firearms
       of existing licence holders who participate in cultural
       activities such as hunting and target shooting.]

Dr M S MOGOBA: Chairperson, I give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the PAC:

That the House -

(1) notes the acute water shortage in the Nebo area of the Northern Province where some of the largest and most densely populated villages are to be found;

(2) believes that the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry should explore the prospect of constructing a dam, using the fairly reliable Tubatse River; and

(3) further believes that if water can be brought over long distances, for example from KwaZulu-Natal to Gauteng, relief can be brought from the Arabie Dam and other large dams of South Africa to this huge segment of the South African population.

Ms B O DLAMINI: Chairperson, I give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the ANC: That the House - (1) notes that Mpumalanga premier, Ndaweni Mahlangu, has announced plans for the development of rental housing units amounting to R209 million in Witbank;

(2) further notes that this project, part of the Presidential Jobs Summit housing project, will lead to job creation and help to reduce the housing backlog in the area;

(3) believes that this is further confirmation of the commitment of the ANC government to addressing the needs of the poor and the historically disadvantaged; and

(4) commends the premier and government of Mpumalanga and all those involved in bringing about this initiative.

[Applause.]

Mr S B FARROW: Chairperson, I give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the DP:

That the House -

(1) notes the new evidence implying that the Helderberg was indeed carrying a deadly cargo when it crashed into the Indian Ocean in 1987;

(2) calls on the Minister of Transport to subject the original flight recorder to exactly the same testing and sound enhancement techniques to which the duplicate has now been subjected;

(3) acknowledges that no costs should be spared in pursuing the truth and verification of this new evidence found by an American forensic audio laboratory;

(4) given the current crisis of confidence in the Civil Aviation Authority over the cash-for-exam papers scandal, calls for the removal of the Civil Aviation Authority from the investigation process; and

(5) calls on the Minister to appoint an independent judicial commission of inquiry into the disaster in the interests of the loved ones of the 158 passengers and crew, who are no closer to the truth than they were 13 years ago. Mr A M MPONTSHANE: Chairperson, I give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the IFP:

That the House -

(1) notes with concern the findings of the investigation into school report-card fraud in the Western Cape where hundreds of learners got into their grades on fake reports;

(2) acknowledges that this problem of fake reports is not limited to the Western Cape;

(3) notes the damage such acts of dishonesty do to the reputation of the teaching profession;

(4) commends the national Minister of Education who promised urgently to look into the matter; and

(5) urges teachers to realise that giving false reports is tantamount to signing a cheque that bounces.

Mrs Z A KOTA: Chairperson, I give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the ANC:

That the House -

(1) notes that on Tuesday the United States Agency for International Development pledged more than R1,772 billion for social service development programmes for South Africa;

(2) further notes that USaid director, Stacy Jones, in his statement said: ``Good progress had been made so far, and I believe the increasing speed of implementation of our joint development programmes reflects the deepening of our working relationship’’;

(3) acknowledges that this pledge will assist in tackling South Africa’s most pressing economic, health, education and service delivery challenges; and

(4) welcomes this agreement as it constitutes a significant contribution to building a better life for all our people.

     FAST-TRACKING OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT: MUNICIPAL ELECTORAL BILL
                         (Draft Resolution)

The CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY: Mr Chairperson, I move the draft resolution printed in my name on the Order Paper, as follows:

That the House ratifies the decision the Joint Programme Subcommittee on 17 May 2000 took in accordance with Joint Rule 216(2), namely that the Local Government: Municipal Electoral Bill, 2000, be fast-tracked by, where necessary, shortening any period within which any step in the legislative process relating to the Bill must be completed, in order to make it possible for the Bill to be passed by both Houses of Parliament by 23 June 2000 (see Announcements, Tablings and Committee Reports, p 410).

Agreed to.

                         APPROPRIATION BILL

The MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AND TOURISM: Mr Chairperson, I do not really know what to do because we have a very good speech prepared, but my director-general yesterday said to me that when I read a speech, it has no oomph'' or punch. So, I said: What should I do? Should I just speak without looking at my notes? He said:Then you are very incoherent.’’ So he has instructed me to memorise my speech, and I will be speaking from memory. Here I start: Madam Speaker … [Laughter.] Those are the instructions of my director-general. Members know what they are like.

We thought that in presenting this input today, we should attempt to judge our priorities and what we do as a department against some of the national concerns, and that is job creation and economic growth, redistribution, environmental protection, the building of a common patriotism, and the promotion of the African renaissance. I hope that when speakers pick up on what we do, that, perhaps, they may want to say whether or not we are on the mark as far as this is concerned.

As everybody knows, a tremendous amount of emphasis has been placed, both by Government and the private sector, on the role which tourism can play to grow the economy and also to create jobs. In fact, the quarterly bulletin of the Reserve Bank reported that in the first nine months of 1999, there has been a 9% growth in employment in the catering and accommodation sector. This, of course, is welcome news.

For our part, as Government, we are leaving no stone unturned in order to ensure that tourism does indeed grow. There is a number of important statements that we can make here today. The one is that between January and April this year, we had South Africa’s biggest-ever international marketing campaign, which was a joint campaign between Government and the private sector.

In this coming year, we will become a truly global player. We will be spending R225 million on an international marketing campaign. [Interjections.]

The CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES: Order! Hon members, you are going to participate in this debate; and if you are not participating in the debate, may I request you to give a chance to those people who are going to participate in the debate to listen to the Minister as he delivers his speech. Could you kindly respect that. [Interjections.]

The MINISTER: Mr Chairperson, thank you very much for that. We have also made a number of fundamental changes to Satour. It is in the process of transforming itself into a lean and mean, world-class marketing organisation, under its new chief executive officer, Moss Mashishi, and it has also become the embodiment of the partnership between Government and the private sector with the appointment of the new board, of which the chairperson is Transnet’s Saki Macozoma and the deputy chairperson is Anglovaal’s Rick Menell.

The capacity of the department itself has been enhanced quite significantly, particularly with the creation of a post of deputy director- general, and Cabinet recently appointed Dr Patrick Matlou as the new deputy director-general for tourism. This is the highest post that has ever existed in the Public Service, dedicated to tourism.

In order to unlock the potential of tourism, in December last year, we launched the so-called Welcome campaign in an attempt to raise the level of awareness about the role of tourism among the general public and why tourism actually should be everyone’s business if we want it to play the role that it can play in our economy.

In order to expose disadvantaged children to tourism, we hope that over the next period we will be able to send thousands of learners from disadvantaged areas to spend periods of time in hotels around the country. Already a pilot project has been completed through the facilitation of the National Business Initiative. Children from schools in Mitchells Plain, Mamelodi, and Ndwedwe in KwaZulu-Natal, were recently given the experience to overnight at hotels run by the Protea group.

This year we will attract new investment in tourism and, at the same time, create opportunities for disadvantaged people to enter what is still a very white-dominated industry. As part of the Lubombo spatial development initiative, we will be putting on the market 16 ecotourism investment opportunities worth over R650 million in the Greater St Lucia Wetlands Park area. This we hope will create much needed jobs in a very neglected part of KwaZulu-Natal.

This year SA National Parks will award concessions to private-sector operators from no fewer than nine lodge sites, seven of these being in the Kruger National Park. Seventeen restaurants and 23 shops currently being operated by SA National Parks will also be offered on public tender. The growing demand for cultural tourism provides our country with an opportunity to reclaim our proud history, promote nation-building and advance the renaissance.

The Soweto heritage route is being upgraded at present at a cost of R16 million. An important element of this project is the development of the Hector Petersen Memorial Square, which will not only serve to contribute to the memory of those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom during the Soweto uprisings, but also boost the township’s tourism industry. Already - and many hon members may not know this - Soweto is the 16th most popular destination for international visitors to South Africa.

This year we will also begin the process of making accessible the ruins of our oldest city, Mapungubwe. The site of the famous golden rhino, Mapungubwe reveals that gold was being mined and traded with the East at least 500 years before the arrival of Jan van Riebeeck. [Applause.] However, by far South Africa’s richest, most expensive and most significant cultural treasures, past and present, are the 15 000 rock art sites which we have inherited. No other country has a larger number of rock art sites. Perhaps their real significance is that they are the world’s oldest record of human culture and art forms. Yet, so few South Africans have come to comprehend this staggering wealth. This year some of these sites will be developed, both to protect them and to allow South Africans and others to visit them.

As if we were not sufficiently indulged, Unesco declared Sterkfontein and its environs a world heritage site last year. This is the cradle of humankind, and the Gauteng province this week released a tender for Sterkfontein so that we will be able to display, for all the world to see, some of the world’s oldest hominid fossils in a world-class museum.

Sustainable and responsible tourism means that as we grow tourism, we must, at the same time, ensure that we enhance environmental protection and promote conservation. I must say that I think that what this country has achieved over the past five years is something that this House truly can be proud of, and I would like also to extend my compliments to my predecessor for much of this work which I will talk about right now.

Just a week ago President Mbeki and President Mogae of Botswana opened, in a moving ceremony, Africa’s first transfrontier park, the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. This three-million-hectare park straddles South Africa and Botswana, making it even bigger than the Kruger National Park. It provides not only for the natural migratory patterns of the herds of gemsbok, but also, and more importantly, for the free and unhindered movement of tourists between Botswana and South Africa on both sides of the park. This is a monument to both conservation and regional friendship and solidarity.

Just two weeks ago, on 2 May, successful talks were held in Harare between the governments of Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South Africa, at which an agreement was reached in principle on plans for the creation of the world’s largest wildlife destination. The aim is to link the Kruger National Park with Gaza province in Mozambique and Gonarezhou in Zimbabwe by bringing down the fences between the three countries and allowing for the free movement of both wild animals and visitors. The three countries intend to sign the protocol in this regard on 19 June at the Kruger National Park.

The Addo Elephant Park in the Eastern Cape is in the process of being transformed into the Greater Addo National Park by extending its boundaries right up to the coastline just east of Port Elizabeth. My appreciation goes to the Eastern Cape government for having agreed to transfer the Woody Cape Nature Reserve to the SA National Parks for this purpose. As a new ``big five’’ destination, it will rival the Kruger National Park as a tourist attraction and will serve as an anchor project for tourism development in the Eastern Cape.

Our 20 national parks are some of the greatest assets for both biodiversity and tourism in this country. A little-known fact is that more new national parks have been proclaimed, or existing parks expanded, since the first democratic elections in 1994 than at any other comparable period in the history of South Africa’s national parks. [Applause.]

Cape Peninsula National Park, Vhembe-Dongola, Agulhas and Namaqua National Parks are all new parks; and Addo, Marakele, Karoo and Mountain Zebra have had significant new sections added to them, representing an overall increase of 188 000 hectares. Another achievement we can be proud of is that the status Kirstenbosch Gardens now enjoys is that of being voted as one of the world’s seven most magnificent botanical gardens. [Applause.]

Walker Bay, in the Southern Cape, is a highly significant breeding area for whales which come in from the southern seas. It is one of the few sites in the world that provides the opportunity for all of us, including international tourists, to engage in shore-based whale-watching. In recent years, the owners of recreational boats and other craft like jet skis have tended to ignore regulations aimed at protecting the whales. It is, therefore, my intention to prohibit boats and other vessels from entering the bay during the whaling season, from July to December. In today’s Gazette draft regulations are published for public comment in this regard. [Applause.]

The protection of our 3 000 km coastline requires more attention. During my recent walk along the Wild Coast, I witnessed the uncaring and irresponsible attitude of 4x4 drivers on the beaches. [Interjections.] While some drivers take extreme care, others seem to take pleasure in driving over our sensitive dunes, well above the high-water mark. I will shortly be publishing regulations aimed at the total prohibition of private vehicles on our beaches. [Applause.] Derek, will you trade your vehicle in? [Interjections.]

Brown environmental issues, such as air pollution and waste management, deserve far more attention in this country, as they impact directly on the quality of life of our citizens, in particular those living in underprivileged areas.

It is simply unacceptable to allow the air we breathe to become more and more polluted and our streets and countryside to become filthier and filthier. There is a rampant lawlessness amongst industrial polluters and a don’t-care attitude amongst many citizens. The rot must stop.

It is our intention to put industrial polluters on terms this year. Following the recent chlorine leak from the Polifin plant in KwaZulu-Natal, the department will be withdrawing its permit until the department is satisfied that sufficient preventative steps have been put in place to protect the public. [Applause.]

On Tuesday next week, we will release draft regulations aimed at prohibiting the use of plastic carrier bags as we know them. [Applause.] Cabinet has approved the draft regulations, and the public and the industry will be given 90 days within which to comment. The Deputy Minister will elaborate on some of these issues.

South Africa’s fishing industry will also receive special attention this year. This R2,5 billion industry, which provides 25 000 direct jobs and probably 60 000 indirect jobs, with an additional 750 000 recreational fishers, has an urgent need for stability, certainty and transparency. On the occasion of this debate, we announce the following as the way forward. Firstly, this year we will issue medium-term to long-term fishing quotas. These will be nontransferable and conditional on compliance with a set of criteria. In July this year we will publish a policy framework for the allocation of each species. This will set out the relative quotas for large, medium, small and subsistence fishers, and we will remove the purely discretionary and ad hoc decision-making processes that everybody has been subjected to in the past.

The grading of the players in the industry will be underscored by proper pricing of fishing rights and applications. This is to encourage small- scale and subsistence fishers, while limiting applicants for macroquotas to the genuine players in the industry. Through this we hope to start to weed out the paper quota holders so that the people who are genuinely interested in the industry can start fishing.

We are doing a great deal to increase and to improve the capacity within the department. This year Cabinet appointed Mr Horst Kleinschmidt in the newly created post of deputy director-general so as to elevate the status of marine and coastal management from that of a chief directorate to a full branch within the department. A dedicated rights-allocation unit will be established to drive the transformation of the industry and a high-powered legal unit is being established to ensure the requisite capacity on the part of the department to deal with the proper implementation and upholding of the law. The Deputy Minister will give further details on this matter.

In order to improve our service to the public and ensure value for money to the taxpayer, the department is undergoing a modernisation process. The SA Weather Bureau will no longer be a chief directorate in the department. We will be tabling a Bill before Parliament later this year to establish the Weather Bureau as a self-standing and professional statutory body. This will allow it to focus on its core business of weather monitoring and forecasting. It will become financially more viable by implementing user- charges for commercial enterprises requiring the services of the Weather Bureau, as is the case elsewhere in the world. It will continue to be wholly state-owned.

The management and maintenance of the department’s seven ships have already been outsourced. Steps will be taken to transform the Antarctica programme from a directorate in the department to a dedicated statutory research agency. The State Information and Technology Agency, Sita, has been contracted to transform the department into a so-called paperless office by introducing cutting-edge information technology into all aspects of the department’s work.

May I express my gratitude to Deputy Minister Mabudafhasi, Director-General Chippie Olver, members of the department and my own staff for the professional and dedicated support with which they provide me. May I take this opportunity to call on you, Chairperson … My speech notes say Madam Speaker''. Can I just be allowed to sayMadam Speaker’’, because this is important! [Interjections.]

Mr V B NDLOVU: Are you implying that he is Madam Speaker? [Laughter.]

The MINISTER: Chairperson, I am not implying that at all. [Interjections.] May I call on Madam Speaker and all members of this House to join us in the rewarding campaign to protect and restore South Africa’s proud cultural and natural heritage. I urge all members, for the sake of the tourism industry and for their own sake, to take a long and extended holiday. [Applause.]

Mr E K MOORCROFT: Chairperson, the hon the Minister expressed reservations about his style of delivery, but I do not think he needs to be too troubled about his style, as long as the content of what he delivers is good, and that content was good. We do congratulate the hon the Minister for the new and fresh approach which he has brought to this department. We can associate ourselves with most, if not all, of what he spoke about this morning.

In the short time allocated to us, my colleague the hon Opperman will be dealing with marine and coastal management, the hon Semple will be dealing with tourism, which the hon the Minister quite rightly dealt with at some length this morning, while I should like to concentrate on the wider issue of sustainability and the provision or nonprovision made for it in the budget.

According to the latest figures issued by the department of tourism, the percentage of tourists who visit this country for reasons of its scenic beauty and wildlife has risen to just under 75%, in other words all of South Africa’s other attractions, including its diversity of cultures, its relative inexpensiveness, etc, account for only about a quarter of the visitors to our shores.

Therefore it is very easy for us to identify the goose that is laying the golden eggs. My concern is the sustainability of our care for that goose. For example, are we as a nation satisfied that the scenic attractions which bring tourists flocking to our land are adequately protected against ruthless exploitation by irresponsible and greedy property developers? And are we satisfied with the meagre 7% of our land surface which has been set aside for nature conservation? I would submit that we cannot be satisfied.

On the amount of land conserved for posterity, and which should include those wonderful vistas and attractions which tourists find so irresistible, we fall woefully short of the minimum of 10% which has been suggested by conservation bodies and which even densely populated countries such as Japan have more than ascribed to.

One has only to travel up the much publicised Garden Route to witness how greedy and unsustainable development has ruined what used be one of our premier beauty spots. The area known as the Wilderness which, as its name suggests, owed its popularity to the untamed nature of the terrain, is being steadily and remorselessly buried under layers of concrete and tar. It is no longer a wilderness to be marvelled at, but an overcrowded hotchpotch of holiday homes, shops and apartments. No attempt has been made to strike a balance between conservation and development. It is all on the side of development. This is but one of many examples, and by no means the worst.

We have been warned that with the world’s population growth and the demands which are being made on land, we are the last generation that will be able to make a difference. I submit that, in view of the importance of tourism in the battle to raise the standard of living of all our people, the hon the Minister and his department should make a concerted effort for more suitable land to be brought under the custodianship of his department. The figure of 10% of land for conservation which I have mentioned, should be set as the minimum target. Moreover, the consequences of the kind of unsustainable development which has characterised our landscape in the past should be addressed with more determination. The private sector could play a greater role in this regard. For example, the National Trust … [Time expired.] [Applause.]

Mr M U KALAKO: Madam Speaker and hon members, it is very important to take stock of what has happened since the Marine Living Resources Act has been in place.

The development of the Act was one of the democratic and transparent processes that have been displayed by South African communities, with the participation of representatives from different political parties and other stakeholders. Indeed, it was a very tedious process, but showed good results in the end. The implementation of the Act, which deals with quite highly complex international issues of marine resources, which have not been mastered even by the so-called developed countries, amid the reconstruction of the industry, is not yet what we envisaged.

However, over the past six months, we as the ANC have been analysing the problems that have bedevilled the industry rather than sitting down and complaining. The Ministry rescued the situation on several occasions, while the department was dragging its feet. The failure to implement the Act is twofold. Firstly, that created by administration, and, secondly, that created by a failure to analyse the workload created by the new Act and to create an administration that will be able to administer and implement it.

Marine and Coastal Management failed to develop any strategic plan on how to implement the Act and deal with the restructuring of the industry as envisaged in the Act and in line with the policy of the Government. It is very clear that we have given the task to people who have no understanding of interpreting our policies and putting them into motion. This creates an enormous task for the Ministry.

The other problem is the capacity in the department, which is clearly indicated in the way allocations were made over the past years. People were allocated quotas twice, received permits and then, after the fishing, told that they had not been successful. Their quotas for fishing were allocated to the wrong companies. Another problem is the understanding, in the economic sense, of what they are handling and its contribution to the GDP of the country. The other weakness of the department is in the understanding and following of procedures. As we all know, the department is still under the old order. They undermine procedure and this opens us up to litigation, resulting in most cases in a negative impact on restructuring and delivery.

While we are critical of the failures of the department, we must also understand the workload created by the new Act. Before the new Act, things were done differently and work was allocated to different areas. For example, prawn-netting and other fishing in the KwaZulu-Natal area were delegated to the Natal Parks Board. The allocation of quotas was done by the Quota Board and the department dealt with nonquota species and the administration of permits. Today, all this work has been allocated to Marine and Coastal Management, without additional staff.

So, while we criticised the failure of the department to implement the Act, we expected the impossible from the department, as it is understaffed and is dealing with a complex new role. Firstly, it has to implement a comprehensive and complicated new structure under the Marine Living Resources Act of 1998. Secondly, the department has to develop the policies under the Act which we did not care to add flesh to ourselves. Thirdly, it has to manage new structures, such as the consultative advisory forum and the fisheries transformation council, without legal and administrative support and a clear mandate to such structures. Fourthly, it has to survey the needs and wants of all people who gave us the mandate to govern. Fifthly, it has to control and negotiate with foreign governments on fishing rights without the support of the requisite Ministries and diplomatic personnel. Sixthly, it has to produce regulations and compliance measures required by the new Act. Finally, but most important of all, it has to put the allocation and the restructuring of the industry in the framework of the RDP and macroeconomic strategy of the Government.

We need to understand the failures of the department to develop a strategic plan for the implementation of the Act, understand the complexity of the fishing industry and redistribution, and understand ``the long walk to fishing’’ for those who were marginalised, and SMMEs in general. The ANC is seeking long-term solutions to sustain fishing in order to give good results for the long journey. The analysis of these failures is an indication of the commitment of our party to the ideas that are enshrined in the RDP, in our macroeconomic strategy, in the Act and in our manifesto. The darkness of the past shall never be victorious over the rise of the dawn, nor shall the dark day of despair resist the season of hope.

While our people were disappointed on many occasions by our machinery for delivering, they identified, at the same time, the reasons for the failure to deliver and understood the difficult process which the country is undergoing. In conclusion, I want to commend the new Deputy Director- General of Marine and Coastal Management for the work he has done so far, under difficult conditions, with the support of his staff. He is in the process of flushing out … [Time expired.] [Applause.]

Nkk L R MBUYAZI: Somlomo neNdlu ehloniphekile, ngifisa ukubonga ukukhushulwa kwezimali kulo mnyango njengoba zikhushuliwe, ikakhulu ukuze kubhekwane nezinto eziningi ezibhekene nalo mnyango. (Translation of Zulu paragraph follows.)

[Mrs L R MBUYAZI: Thank you, Chairperson and honourable House. I would like to say thank you for the increase in the budget of this department, as it will enable the department to perform other services well.]

The environmental co-ordination and communication programme has the intention of informing the public about the National Environmental Management Act and sustainable development, but all too often the information that is submitted to the public does not reach the community at grass-roots level. It remains, however, at the level of direct stakeholders. The department has to ensure that its communication strategy reaches all South Africans, from stakeholders to the local communities in rural areas. Another problem is that grass-roots communities are not being informed of the idea and practice of sustainable development. Furthermore, the Government has to combine its integrated rural development strategy with the concept of sustainable development. It will only be in this way that rural development of our grass-roots communities will be successful.

Njengoba sazi ukuthi iNingizimu Afrika ifuna ukubamba le ngqungquthela enkulukazi, ye-Rio+10 Conference, sifisa ukuba abantu baziswe kabanzi ngokuthi kubhekeke ukuthi benzeni phansi laphaya ezinhlakeni zasezindaweni nakohulumeni basekhaya. Amakhansela kudingeka abe nolwazi lokuthi kufanele enzenjani uma ethuthukisa leyo miphakathi.

NomThetho-sivivinywa woMasipala sifisa sengathi ungangena kakhulu kulolu daba lokuthuthukisa okuzohlala isikhathi eside. Njengoba kuza le ngqungquthela lapha kithina kuzofuneka sazi ukuthi, njengeNingizimu Afrika, simi kanjani ekongeni nasekuthuthukiseni umphakathi wethu.

Maqondana nezasemanzini nokudoba nazo zonke izinto ezinjalo, nakhona ngifisa ukukuncoma ukukhushulwa kwale mali ngendlela ekhushulwe ngayo yaba yizigidi ezingama-R27. (Translation of Zulu paragraphs follows.)

[As we know South Africa wants to host the Rio+10 Conference, and we want people at community and local government level to be informed of what is expected of them. Councillors should be given knowledge so that they will know how to go about improving their communities.

We wish the Bill on municipalities to deal thoroughly with the permanent development of our communities. As we will be hosting this coming conference, we as South Africans should know where we stand with regard to the development of our society.

I wish to congratulate the department on the increase in its budget to R27 million for water, fishing and other similar necessities.]

While this programme has been increased, we have to question whether this increase is sufficient to protect our marine living resources. Every day we read stories about large-scale poaching of perlemoen, crayfish and other coastal resources, which cannot be stopped owing to capacity and resource problems in marine law enforcement agencies. The department urgently has to take steps to increase the resources available to the enforcement agencies to stop the illegal poaching of our coastal resources. Abantu bakithi mabanikezwe futhi namathuba okuthi bakwazi ukuyozidobela, benze nakho konke okunye. Mabanikezwe namathuba okuthi bangene kule mboni yokudoba.

Okunye engifisa ukungena kukhona kumaqondana nezangoma zezulu. Kuhle ukuthi abantu bakithi basheshe baluthole ulwazi lokuthi kuzokwenzakalani. Akufanele kungenwe ngoba sekungenwa ngezibhicongo, sekuvele izikhukhula, kwavela imimoya neziphepho ezithile. Kuhle abantu basheshe batshelwe ukuthi mabaqheluke kuleyo ndawo ngoba kuzobe kukhona ukuthi nokuthi.   Siyakuncoma kakhulu ukuthi umnyango vele uyasebenza kulolu daba. Sengathi kungaqhutshekwa nakho ukuze kube khona … (Translation of Zulu paragraphs follows.)

[Our people should be given opportunities to fish and perform other similar services. They should also be given opportunities to play a role in the fishing industry.

I would like to comment on climatology. It is good for our people to know what to expect from the weather. They should know if a flood, heavy rain or a hurricane is coming. They should be told in advance so that they will stay away from areas where these disasters are likely to strike.

We are pleased that the department is now working on this issue. We wish the department to take this further so that there is …]

… early warning to the affected communities, including our rural communities and emergency services. The communication function is therefore crucial and the department should pay specific attention to ensuring that affected people are warned long before an identified disaster strikes.

Kwezokuvakasha, maqondana nokuthi imali yakhona ikhushulwe ngale zigidi zamarandi eziyi-11 lokho kuyithuba elihle kakhulu lokuthi abantu bakithi bangene kule mboni yezokuvakasha, ikakhulukazi abantu bakithi abakade besasalele emuva maqondana nezokuvakasha. Siyazi kakhulu ukuthi ngobani abangene kule ndaba.

Ngike ngaya kwi-Tourism Indaba, eThekwini. Okungiphathe kabi lapho ngukuthi ngithe uma ngifika khona ngathola ukuthi amatafula akhona akusiwo awabantu bakithi. Abantu bakithi abanawo amatafula kuleya ndawo, kepha silethe abantu abaqhamuka ezindaweni ezikude ukuba bazobona ukuthi kwenzekani eNingizimu Afrika maqondana nezokuvakasha.

Okubuhlungu kakhulu ngukuthi abantu bakithi abakangeni kule ndawo. Ayikho into ekhombisayo ukuthi uma abantu bethi bazovakashela eNingizimu Afrika bazofike bayibone ngempela yini indawo lapho mayelana nokuthi kwezokulala sebekhona abantu bakithi asebengene kuzona, kanye nokuthi kwezokuthutha abantu bakithi sebengene nakuzona.

Ngakho-ke kukhona izinto ezibuhlungu, ikakhulu kulesi khumulo sezindiza sakithi, khona la. Abantu bakithi abavunyelwe ukuthi bangaba nezimoto ezima laphaya kulesiya sikhumulo sezindiza zikwazi ukuthutha abantu zize lapha. [Ihlombe.] Izinkampani ezikhona laphaya ngezabamhlophe, kunalokho abantu bakithi banikezwe ukuthi bangahweba uma nje mhlawumbe umuntu ezintshontshela, ahambe afike abeke bese eziphumela, kodwa hhayi ukuthi abe nenkampani yakhe emileyo.

Ngakho-ke kule ndaba yezokuvakasha, nginxusa futhi nemiphakathi yakithi ukuthi ake yakhe izindlu zakithi zesintu ukuze kuthi abantu abavakashayo kade behlala emahhotela aphambili, besuka phesheya lapho behlala kumahhotela akhona omhlabuhlangene, bafike lapha babone i-Afrika njengoba injalo. [Ihlombe.]

Sithi-ke lo mnyango, njengoba ukhushulelwe kangaka le mali, awubalekelele laba bantu ukuze bakhe izindawo zokuhlala. Kukhona umama okhona lapha eKhayelitsha noma eGugulethu oseqale kancane umsebenzi wokuthi enze indawo yokuhlala nokuthi abantu bafike badle, kodwa lowo mama udinga ukuthi athuthukiswe. Kukhona nentombazane encane lapha esiyitholileyo ezama izindlela zokuthi ipheke iphe abantu ukudla. Ikufundele lokhu kupheka futhi iyapheka kahle kakhulu. Abantu abanjalo mabanikezwe phela leyo mali yokuthi bakwazi ukuthi balekelelwe. Uma kufika abantu bokuvakasha abayithole le mali, baxhaswe. Kukhona abantu bakithi koMkhuze lena nakwezinye izindawo, nabo mabanikezwe labo bantu ukuze bakwazi ukuxhaseka ngale mali yezokuvakasha, njengoba kufanele.

Yingakho-ke bengifisa ukuthi ngikwedlulise lokhu ukuthi siyamncoma kakhulu uNgqongqoshe, kodwa abantu bakithi mabafakwe. Ngiyazi ukuthi uNgqongqoshe uyimelele indaba yokuthuthukisa abantu bakithi kodwa naye ngiyethemba ukuthi akathokozanga njengoba wayefika laphaya eThekwini engafici ngisho noyedwa nje umuntu omnyama owayenendawo, kunalokho kwakuyilaba bantu bamahhotela aphambili nalaba bezindawo esezivele zithuthukile - ondlebe zikhany’ilanga. [Ihlombe.] (Translation of Zulu paragraphs follows.)

[This is a great opportunity for our people to take part in the tourist industry, besides the fact that the budget of this department has been increased by R11 million. This is a great opportunity, because most of our people were left behind as far as tourism was concerned. We know the people who are involved in this issue.

I attended the Tourism Indaba in Durban. What surprised me was that the places where or tables on which street traders sell their products were not owned by our people. Our people do not have their own tables in the streets. This was not good since we brought people from other countries to see what was taking place in our country as far as tourism was concerned. What is more painful is that our people are not involved in the tourist business. There is nothing that people from outside can see which shows them that they are in South Africa, because when it comes to hotel and transport services, our people are excluded.

There are painful things happening at our airports. Our people are not allowed to transport people from airports. [Applause.] Only white- controlled companies operate at airports. Black people are given the right to transport people on a casual basis. They cannot have stable companies operating at airports.

Therefore, on the issue of tourism, I appeal to our communities to build traditional huts so that visitors from overseas, who have been staying in expensive hotels, will see Africa as it was before. [Applause.]

We say, since this department has received a big budget increase, that it should assist black people so that they can build these hotels. There is a middle-aged woman who stays either in Khayelitsha or Gugulethu township. She has started to build holiday accommodation in which people will be served with food. She needs to be sponsored. There is also a young woman we have recently heard from who is trying to find ways of cooking and selling food. She is a trained cook and she cooks very well. Such people should be sponsored with money to enable them to improve their service. When visitors come here, our people should be sponsored with money. There are a number of such good people in Mkhuze and many other places. They must be given assistance from the tourist fund. This should be done because it is a must.

That is why I have been eager to mention that we congratulate the hon the Minister on this improvement. However, we want our people to be included in this industry. I know that the hon the Minister stands for the improvement of our communities. I am sure that he was not happy when he arrived in Durban, only to find that not a single black person owned a kiosk or table where street traders sell their products. Instead, people who were there were the owners of big hotels and other whites who were already rich. [Applause.]]

Mrs J CHALMERS: Madam Speaker, hon Minister, members of this House, the following statement is made in the annual report of the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism:

Before 1994, when South Africa held its first democratic elections, the policy on natural resources was to set them aside for the benefit of a few.

This is no longer the case. Our aim and objective now is to conserve those resources and use them sustainably for the benefit of all the people of our country. South Africa is extraordinarily rich in its biological diversity. It has the third highest level of biodiversity in the world. It has more than twice the number of plants found in the USA, a country over five times the size of South Africa.

We have the privilege of having two internationally renowned biodiversity hot spots, the succulent Karoo and the Cape floral kingdom, as well as five other African hot spots which occur wholly or partially in South Africa. Visitors come, whether as tourists, scientists or students, from all over the world to experience our flora and fauna. It is truly a treasure-trove that needs to be guarded with dedicated care.

But what needs to be recognised is that our biodiversity, and the land that supports it, is not only to be considered for the pleasure of its visual beauty, or the scientific academic value of its diversity, or even, major consideration though this is, for its touristic value. What we must also consider with the utmost seriousness is that if humankind is to survive on this earth, there is a limit to the number of species we can lose through carelessness and greed, a limit to the amount of soil we can lose through overfarming and stupidity and a limit to the wetlands we can lose through ignorance and wrongful use, for these assets are irreplaceable essentials to our very survival.

Internationally there has been a growing recognition that our earth is at risk. The distress signals have become clearer. Global deforestation has meant increasingly severe and devastating floods. Shipping industries have collapsed through overfishing. A pall of smoke hangs over the Amazon rainforest where fires are set to clear the land. The list is endless.

In 1992 at the Rio conference the United Nations brought together 178 governments to focus on development and the environment. Five documents were adopted, including Agenda 21, an action plan and blueprint for sustainable development, and the Convention on Biological Diversity. South Africa is a global partner to sustainable development and a signatory to the biodiversity convention, as well as to the convention on desertification.

Our Government is taking our responsibilities as a member of these and other environmental conventions extremely seriously. It is responding by passing new and appropriate laws, by monitoring and instituting research, and by raising awareness through education.

We have a particular responsibility to recognise and foster traditional methods and the indigenous knowledge of our people and their communities, emphasising the particular role of women, with regard to the conservation of biological diversity and the sustainable use of biological resources. We need to ensure an opportunity for the participation of those groups in the economic and commercial benefits derived from the use of such traditional methods and knowledge.

South Africa is not a land of rich agricultural potential. Nearly 91% of the country is arid, semi-arid or dry subhumid and falls broadly within the UN Convention to Combat Desertification definition of ``affected drylands’’. It is estimated that water erosion affects 6,1 million hectares of cultivated soil, and wind erosion affects an estimated 10,9 million hectares. This results in an estimated mean annual soil loss in South Africa of 2,5 tons per hectare, which is eight times faster than it is being replaced by natural processes. This is a loss we can ill afford.

The objective of the Convention to Combat Desertification is to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought, particularly in Africa, within the framework of an integrated approach which is consistent with Agenda 21. It focuses on process and ensuring public participation in the development and implementation of plans to combat desertification - a bottom-up approach.

The substantial report on land degradation in South Africa, produced last year, has followed this directive, incorporating the results of 34 workshops participated in by 453 people drawn from all over the country. It is a most remarkable document. Now the challenge is to implement a national action programme and to produce a White Paper in due course.

Finally, let me say that internationally there is a growing recognition that it is far less expensive to halt destructive practices than it is to try to put things back later. It is exciting in this country to see that recognition of that fact is being translated into environmental laws and practices - and here our Minister is a prime mover - that are laying a positive and permanent foundation for future generations in South Africa. [Applause.]

Mrs M E OLCKERS: Madam Speaker, South Africa is ranked 25th in the world’s top tourism destinations, but we rank 42nd when it comes to tourism earners in the world. We should ask: Why?

It is interesting to note that 75% of all South Africa’s foreign arrivals are from Africa, and that they spend an average of R1 081 a day, while the average British visitor spends only R568 a day. Therefore, the African tourist market - the tourist from our continent - needs to be expanded and marketed vigorously.

Tourism brings an estimated R20 billion a year into our economy. For every eight tourists who visit South Africa, one new job is created. However, South Africa attracts only 0,2% of the annual estimated 300 million tourists in the world. We must ask: Why? Where are we failing? Is it our marketing? Is it our service? Is it perhaps our people, or crime, or standards? Of course, sentiments such as those expressed by the Minister in his speech at the indaba in Durban recently, stating that tourism would not be adversely affected by small hitches such as what happened in Zimbabwe recently, does not help either, especially as the exhibitors from Zimbabwe at the indaba proved that it did affect them. Some had cancellations of up to 40%.

The growth of 40% in foreign arrivals since 1994, has also inspired 64 schools around the country to now offer travel and tourism as matric subjects. This is a trend that needs to be expanded and strengthened. Tourism or hospitality training enables a person to be successfully employed, be an entrepreneur in many aspects of life and enter the trade market with confidence.

But why do those tourists who come to South Africa come here? It is, inter alia, because some 18 000 plant species are found in South Africa, of which 80% occur nowhere else in the world; our wildlife is beyond comparison; our weather is unbeatable; and our scenery is breathtaking. However, there are a few crucial points that need to be taken note of. The unfettered growth in the world’s population, especially South Africa’s population, is killing our natural assets and resources.

Population growth is among a handful of underlying conditions that determine the type and intensity of human activities that lead to biodiversity loss. In 1960, 70% of the world’s population lived in developing countries; today it is 80%, and these countries account for 95% of population growth. Can South Africa afford to let this continue in our land? Population size itself is an important determinant of the scale of human utilisation of natural resources, resources upon which other species depend as well.

Terwyl kommentators juig as die landsekonomie met 3,5% groei, sien weinig raak dat die landsbevolking terselfdertyd met ‘n geskatte 4% gegroei het en die per capita-groei dus in werklikheid negatief was. Wil Suid-Afrika voortgaan om soos Indië pro rata agteruit te gaan weens te veel mense en ‘n te hoë bevolkingsgroei? Dit plaas te veel druk op ons natuurlike hulpbronne.

So ‘n situasie sal meebring dat minder toeriste na Suid-Afrika kom, omdat ons natuurlike skoonheid - ons water, plantspesies, dierelewe ensovoorts - uitgeput sal raak. Die mensemassa sal die land tot niet laat gaan, vernietig, opeet en opgebruik. As die Regering ernstig is oor die uitbouing van die toerismepotensiaal, as die Regering ernstig is om ‘n beter lewe vir al Suid-Afrika se mense te skep - en ek glo hulle is - sal daar met die innoverende en oorredende bemarking van ‘n idee soos ``‘n kleiner gesin kan ‘n beter lewe en meer geleenthede tot welvaart bied’’, begin moet word.

Ek pleit vir hierdie land met sy hulpbronne en natuurskoon se voortbestaan. Ek vra die Regering om nie so ‘n doodse stilte te handhaaf oor hierdie belangrike aspek nie. Die Regering moet sterk standpunt inneem teen die roekelose lewenswyse van baie van ons mense. Ons moet die etniese stigma verwyder wat onder die dekmantel van kultuur steeds die werk in dié verband pootjie. [Tyd verstreke.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)

[While commentators cheer when the country’s economy grows by 3,5%, few of them notice that at the same time the country’s population increased by an estimated 4%, and that the per capita growth therefore was in fact negative. Does South Africa want to continue to deteriorate pro rata, like India, because of too many people and a population growth rate which is too high? This places too much pressure on our natural resources.

Such a situation will result in fewer tourists coming to South Africa, because our natural beauty - our water, flora and fauna, etc - will become depleted. The mass of people will ruin, destroy, devour and use up the country. If the Government is serious about developing our tourism potential, if the Government is serious about creating a better life for all of South Africa’s people - and I believe they are - then they will have to start with the innovative and persuasive marketing of an idea such as ``a smaller family can offer a better life and more opportunities for prosperity’’.

I am appealing for the survival of this country with its resources and natural beauty. I am asking the Government not to maintain such a deathly silence on this important aspect. The Government should take a strong stand against the reckless lifestyle of many of our people. We must remove the ethnic stigma which, under the guise of culture, is still hampering work in this regard. [Time expired.]]

Ms S B NQODI: Madam Speaker, history tells us that the past 300 years have seen many improvements in the conditions of life of humanity and this is what we term ``development’’.

The few positive effects of development, as we live and experience them on a daily basis, are that, unlike in primitive societies and owing to many factors, we are witnessing unprecedented population growth all over the world. This is due to improved medical care, which has led to the eradication of dreaded diseases such as polio and leprosy.

The other important factor is the advancement of technology, which has led to industrialisation, job creation and urbanisation. Because of this we also experience high levels of literacy and job security. This, indeed, is good for our generation.

However, the other side of the coin of development gives us a negative and gloomy picture about our future survival. The emissions from factories and automobiles are polluting the very water we drink and the air we breathe. They contribute to the greenhouse effect and the destruction of the ozone layer, which, in turn, is causing climate change worldwide. This then causes a change in rainfall patterns. Hence the El Niños and the widespread destruction we are experiencing as a result of tornadoes these days. The effect is then a change in the livelihoods of many of our rural communities which make a living out of agriculture.

Furthermore, this always ends people migrating to cities and towns in search of greener pastures in the form of jobs. This then creates another problem, and that is the ever-increasing mushrooming of shacks or ``African cities’’, as one speaker once termed them, on the peripheries of our cities and towns where our people live in unhealthy and unsafe conditions.

With this introduction I am trying to give members a picture of the environment we live in as a result of development, and by this I am not implying that development should come to a stop. As Brundtland puts it:

The environment is where we all live; and development is what we all do in attempting to improve our lot within that abode. These two are inseparable.

Agenda 21, a global action plan and a blueprint for sustainable development mentioned earlier by speakers before me, expects of us as a country to carry out and implement the 1992 Rio de Janeiro conference agreements.

Since 1994 our Government has developed new policies based on the principles of sustainable development. The Constitution itself acknowledges the importance of sustainable development. The new policies, however, are not integrated in a unified whole. Hence the newly developed integrated development plan at local government level. South Africa therefore urgently needs to co-ordinate and integrate sectoral policies because sustainable development is equal to integrated decision-making.

As we are all aware, the major challenge and priority facing this Government today, is the total eradication of poverty. The war we have to wage against poverty in order to achieve sustainable development, necessitates and demands an integrated, multisectoral, interdepartmental and intergovernmental approach in the spirit of co-operative governance. This is what the RDP and its strategy for implementation, Gear, calls for.

For us to do so, we need to educate our people and raise their awareness of environmental issues. Furthermore, we need to put in place some machinery for the implementation of Agenda 21. We also need to capacitate the institutions and organs of delivery at all levels of governance. This calls for adequate budgeting for these structures in our integrated development plan, especially at local government level.

One of the functions of this department entails the quality and protection of the environment. This function is located in Programme 6 of this department’s Vote. Although we highly appreciate the increase of R4,1 million, the committee feels it is still underbudgeted for, considering the mammoth task and challenges facing it, such as massive pollution management, waste management reduction, etc.

The committee is equally concerned about the budget allocation for Programme 2 of this department, which is about environmental co-ordination and communication. Once again, compared to last year’s budget, the programme was fortunate to receive an increase of R8,9 million. I wish to highlight the fact that this is the directorate assigned with the responsibility to develop a national strategy on sustainable development, which will enhance this country’s chances of hosting the second earth summit, or the Rio +10 conference, mentioned earlier, in the year 2002.

Amongst other things, it has to alert and prepare our communities and local authorities about the environmental issues which will be reviewed, appraised and focused on in the national state of the environment report which is to be tabled in two years’ time during that particular conference. Surely this calls for adequate budgeting for such things as personnel, infrastructure, travel costs, subsistence allowances, publications, public education and awareness campaigns, to mention a few.

Local authorities play a key role at the local implementation level of Agenda 21 and they therefore need to be adequately financed and resourced by the national Government to enable them to deliver. Knowing and understanding the limited financial resources with which this Government has to operate, I think it is proper to remind the House that environmental issues are cross-cutting and that they deserve to be considered by all people, including the private sector. They are shared responsibilities.

I support the Vote. [Applause.] Mr S N SWART: Madam Speaker, hon Minister, the 36% increase in the Vote must be seen in context, as the department continues with its most ambitious world marketing campaign ever.

This increase clearly illustrates the repositioning of the department as a core department in Government. This is the department that has created, and can continue to create, jobs in South Africa. There is, however, a greater need for the marketing of South Africa in Africa. It is significant that the department’s annual report indicates that the average African visitor to South Africa spends almost twice per day what the average British visitor spends. This indicates that there is a huge potential market for visitors from Africa, which must be targeted.

We share the department’s concern that the departure tax, as announced by the Minister of Finance, is not aimed at increasing the marketing of tourism. This should be a dedicated tax used solely for the marketing of South Africa.

There are many aspects relating to the environment which are encouraging. The department is to be complimented on its achievements in this regard. The continued instability and litigation surrounding the fishing industry is, however, a major concern and can result in the over-extended Marine and Coastal Management branch grinding to a halt.

Also in this regard, the department’s inability, owing in the main to budgetary constraints, to prevent the poaching and illegal trading of abalone and rock lobster is a further serious concern. We accordingly support the department’s attempts to curb these practices and call upon the SA Police Service and the Department of Justice to ensure that penal provisions contained in the Marine Living Resources Act, which provides for fines of up to R5 million, are imposed to the fullest extent.

In conclusion, we wish to congratulate the Minister and his department on their achievements during the past year, as well as on the very attractive and highly informative annual report, which I would encourage all members to peruse. [Applause.]

Mr S P GROVÉ: Madam Speaker, I wish to address this House on some issues relevant to the South African national Antarctic programme which is funded by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism. This programme directs our activities in Antarctica and our two islands in the Southern Ocean, being Marion Island and Prince Edward Island, as well as our presence on Gough Island.

To put this into perspective, let me tell members something about Antarctica and the Prince Edward Island group. The Prince Edward Island group consists of two small little islands, being Prince Edward Island, and Marion Island roughly 20 km apart. They are situated approximately 2 200 km south-southeast of Cape Town, and are the twin peaks of a volcanic mountain rising up from the ocean floor to some 1 200 m above the surface of the ocean. The islands are right in the so-called Roaring Forties and therefore subject to violent weather conditions.

Some things about Marion Island: It is small, not wider than 20 km. It is a volcanic island, and the last eruption occurred in 1980. The average annual rainfall is 2,5 m. The average air temperature is 6°C and the average humidity is 83%. On some days, one may start the day in wonderful sunshine and thereafter, on the same day, experience rain, high winds, sleet, hail, snow, mist, and everything. I was there. I can attest to that.

Although the average temperature is not so low, the high winds sometimes reach speeds of up to 150 km/h and 200 km/h and the wind-chill factor can reduce the temperature to -18°C or -20°C. On 308 days out of 365 days it rains for some part of the day. The wind blows for 107 days per year at gale-force speed.

In vast contrast, Antarctica is one of the largest continents on earth, the cleanest, the highest, the coldest and the driest. It is covered in a 2-km- thick layer of ice, some of which is thousands of years old.

Members may ask, and many people do ask, what we are doing in these strange places. [Laughter.] Are we just sending … [Interjections.] I am hearing all kinds of comments here that I like it there! Are we just sending some lucky people there to have a nice enjoyable adventure or is there any value for this country in our presence there?

From a scientific point of view I would like to quote a publication by Dr Steven Chown called An introductory guide to the Marion and Prince Edward Island Special Nature Reserves. On page 17 the author says:

Scientific work, and mainly biological research, now forms one of the major reasons for maintenance of the scientific station at the Prince Edward Islands. The information gained from 33 years of continuous biological research has resulted in an almost unparalleled understanding of the islands’ animals, plants and ecosystems, both in a South African and global context. In consequence, the stage has been well set for addressing many of the environmental management problems at the islands and for examining additional important ideas in ecology.

And that is important. He continues:

But perhaps the most important ecological ideas that can be tested using the islands’ ecosystems are those that have to do with global climate change. Over the past few hundred years a slow, but steady increase in average temperatures has been recorded around the world. This increase has been very rapid in the sub-Antarctic - as much as 1°C in the last 50 years - and the trend seems set to continue. If I could try to put that 1°C into some perspective: on a continent where the average temperature differs, on a yearly basis, between 4°C and 6°C, a l°C temperature change is close to 25%. If that temperature change takes place in South Africa, we will mostly certainly wipe out most of the agriculture of this country and the Karoo will most probably become a desert. Therefore, we need the scientific research that we have done on those islands to know how ecosystems will react under such conditions, even if it takes place over 50 years, because then we can try and do something about it.

Secondly, the Southern Ocean is one of the last untapped oceans on earth, with vast resources comprising plankton, krill, fish and others. Even new species of fish are being found there. This represents a vast food store that we can exploit to our advantage. [Time expired.] [Applause.]

The DEPUTY MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AND TOURISM: Madam Speaker and hon members, one of the key environmental challenges facing our country is how to manage our marine resources and take care of our enormous coastline. We are faced, as the world, with a real possibility of global warming and similar dangers emanating from atmospheric change. Our country is getting dirtier every day and our people’s lives are being endangered by ill- managed and hazardous waste.

These are the core issues that I would like to address, as we take a look at the work of the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism through, amongst others, Marine and Coastal Management, the Weather Bureau and the Antarctica programme that we have just heard about. All of these programmes are aimed at entrenching the principles of sustainable development geared at the improvement of the people’s quality of life.

South Africa is richly endowed with a diverse coastline of more than 3 000 km and an adjacent exclusive fishing zone stretching 200 nautical miles, which is 386 km, seaward. This vast region comprises the cool and rich fishing grounds that provide enormous benefits to the people of South Africa and offer unique opportunities for economic and social development.

Against the background of widespread poaching of marine resources, the department has identified the improvement of marine compliance as a very high priority and has provided additional funding towards this cause. Actions that are to be taken include a partnership with the SA Police Service to relaunch Operation Neptune, at a cost of R1 million, which will increase the capacity we have to patrol our marine resources. But that is still not enough: I think we need even more in order to do that. The other action is the procurement of four purpose-built fishery and environmental protection vessels to re-establish an effective fishery patrol service and to provide an oil-spill countermeasure service.

For South Africa to meet its obligations in terms of conservation of our marine life and at the same time transform an industry which is still substantially characterised by its apartheid past, we have to bring into the industry new entrants from historically disadvantaged backgrounds, something which continues to constitute a major challenge to us.

We would like to give hon members a glimpse of the changes we are initiating in Marine and Coastal Management, if members would listen properly. We are establishing a dedicated rights-allocation unit, adequately resourced and professionally staffed, a prerequisite for restoring public confidence in the fraught and acrimonious processes that currently surround the allocation of rights.

Shortly we will announce a set of additional policy directives and other arrangements that will govern the allocation of rights, some of which hon members have heard from my Minister. Since there is no capacity at present to go out and verify the information that fishing rights holders provide to the department, we shall institute such capacity within a new and credible unit.

Subsistence and artisanal fishing also have to be given their due recognition and place in an effort to deal with the acute poverty along our coastline. These sectors, especially artisanal fishing, have been neglected. We shall make further announcements about this in due course.

Also, a key aspect of our new approach will be to give adequate and proper recognition to coastal communities. These communities will have first access to rights, above any others. [Applause.] We intend to divide the coastline into eight regions, in order to have dedicated attention to the development and support of fishing communities. We feel that the communities along the coastline need to be developed, empowered and assisted with many things, for instance with filling in forms and many other things. So we are interested in developing these people in order that they can also develop SMMEs and the big companies, especially our disadvantaged people. Finally, the development of new and under-utilised resources, such as mariculture, will be promoted through the support of public initiatives of this kind and through the provision of relevant data and the projection of trends.

This House should note the importance of our international obligations with SADC and a variety of other international treaties on fishing. Early next month, during World Environment Week, we will release the White Paper for Sustainable Coastal Development which will deal with the sustainable use and management of our coast.

Pollution and waste management issues are foremost on Government’s agenda, some of which have been mentioned by the hon the Minister. Visible action will be taken to establish waste management infrastructure in townships to deal with medical and other hazardous waste that continue to threaten communities and contribute to increased poverty and degradation of the environment. It is simply unacceptable that as we speak here today there are industries and businesses that are endangering the health and livelihoods of poor communities through pollution. Air pollution in particular has received prominence recently with the release of a poisonous chlorine gas cloud by Polifin at uMbongintwini in KwaZulu-Natal. This follows a number of ongoing community struggles around sulphur dioxide pollution by oil refineries in the Durban South basin and Milnerton in Cape Town, and the poisoning of schoolchildren by Sappi with sulphur dioxide in Umkomaas. This is unacceptable.

I want to state clearly that as Government we have zero tolerance for companies that damage the health of residents and workers through their activities. We will not hesitate to prosecute and recover damages from companies that disregard environmental norms and standards. Over the past three years we have shut down a number of companies for this kind of conduct.

In the interim we have agreed to start negotiations with the refineries on putting in place co-operative agreements in terms of the National Environment Management Act which will entail the operation of ambient and emission monitoring, independent auditing of monitoring results and agreeing on emission reduction programmes.

While I welcome the spirit in which industry has come forward to negotiate, I would like to put it on record today that these negotiations do not preclude more drastic action against the major polluters in this country. I would like to give notice that we will not tolerate the damage that they are doing to people’s health and the environment. If one pollutes one must pay to clean up the mess. [Applause.]

The renewed vigour with which the department will be tackling this issue is in line with our White Paper on Integrated Pollution and Waste Management which will be publicly released next week together with the regulations that the Minister alluded to on the use of plastic bags. Details of the 20 new waste management projects supported by this department will also be unveiled on that day.

We are very encouraged by the overwhelming support that this call has received from the public. We recently learnt that Douglas, a town in the Northern Cape, has been declared a plastic-free zone. Why can we not do the same? I challenge this Parliament to lead by example by declaring Parliament a plastic-free zone, starting on World Environment Day, on 5 June 2000. [Applause.] And this must also be done in our constituencies, from where we come.

Internationally, we are already playing our part in this area - South Africa has been mandated to host the Basel regional training centre on behalf of English-speaking countries. It is intended to build capacity in hazardous waste management and transboundary movement of waste in the Southern African region and on the entire continent. This will further assist South Africa’s programme to implement the Basel convention.

As is the case with the Weather Bureau, we are looking to agentise the Antarctica and islands programme of the department. Linked to this is the establishment of an Antarctic experience centre in Cape Town, so that people who are not able to travel to Antarctica can experience the sheer beauty of this arctic wilderness. Fortunately, I was with member Grové and we had that experience.

In brief, this programme provides scientific, liaison, logistical, administrative and personnel management support to Sanap and its international partners. During the past year it launched the Indian Antarctic expedition from South Africa. This is in line with establishing Cape Town as the gateway to Antarctica and a supply route to many of the international bases there. International co-operation was further strengthened when South Africa and Germany signed a letter of intent with regard to establishing joint logistic and research ventures to Antarctica.

This year the programme will focus on contributing to conservation and resource use through research, monitoring and the management of the Prince Edward Islands as special nature reserves, enhancing public awareness of global climate changes and ozone depletion, as well as providing research and monitoring opportunities for the Weather Bureau and research institutions through project funding and logistic support.

Coming to climate change, South Africa’s ratification of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change signifies Government’s commitment to join the global community in finding solutions to the escalating greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere. South Africa’s economy is coal-based, coupled with emissions from domestic coal burning as a result of a still underdeveloped electricity infrastructure.

Despite the fact that South Africa is not obligated to a reduction target on greenhouse gas emission, we have committed ourselves to a sustainable development growth path, underpinned by the following aspects which form the basis of the programme of action on climate change that will be implemented by the department.

Firstly, we will urgently look at alternative sources of energy with less reliance on coal if necessary. Other energy-intensive sectors which produce a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions are also targeted to contribute a decrease in emissions. An increased export sector will result in greater scrutiny of South Africa’s exports in as far as their coal intensity is concerned. In order to comply with increasingly stringent requirements, South African industries will need to invest in more environmentally sound technologies. Avoidance of future emissions is the strategic business approach to more sustainable production.

Government intervention in response to the effects of climate change requires an integrated approach. It is for this reason that the Cabinet has approved the collective involvement of the the Departments of Minerals and Energy, of Trade and Industry, of Water Affairs and Forestry, of Transport and of Agriculture and Land Affairs in working towards this objective. This collective action will culminate in a response strategy which has already been outlined and approved by the Cabinet and is due for finalisation in December 2000.

I think all these initiatives will enable South Africa to take its rightful place on the world stage, in the implementation of the resolution of the United Nations’ commission on sustainable development. For this reason South Africa is bidding to host the earth summit - my colleagues have already mentioned this - to be held in 2002. This initiative alone will bring untold investment in South Africa and the entire continent, amongst others in terms of tourism growth. If we get this bid it is going to highlight the poverty in Africa as a whole and bring it to the attention of the international community.

All these initiatives will also assist us to develop tourism. The member Olckers said that one of the factors that would delay tourism was the numbers of people. I do not think that tourism would like us to legislate that the police should exercise that control. I think they are more worried about the increased number of blacks. It has nothing to do with that. [Interjections.] It is nonsense, because I know the member means the blacks who are in the majority.

Another international convention which this department is responsible for and which is worth noting is the Convention to Combat Desertification. This convention has the potential to reduce the vulnerability of affected populations by securing their environments, increasing food security and creating new opportunities for alternative livelihoods. The successful implementation of programmes such as Agenda 21 requires a global partnership for sustainable development with all nations. We also say that the recent hosting of a regional conference on African solutions held in Pretoria neatly fits in with the vision of Africa’s rebirth.

I would like to thank my Minister, who has been very supportive and has been grooming me, the director-general, Dr Olver, and the whole staff of the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, who have been helpful and who are working tirelessly to transform this department to become a department that will be accountable to the citizens of this country, in order to build South Africa to be what it is supposed to be. [Applause.]

Ms C M P RAMOTSAMAI: Madam Speaker, hon Ministers and fellow members, I want to start by saying that I am not delivering Mrs Mbuyazi’s speech, but I want to suggest to my chairperson that perhaps it is about time that the ANC and the IFP caucused before they came to speak here. It seems I will be talking about the same topic, so I think it is about time that we had a caucus. [Laughter.]

Firstly, I take this opportunity to congratulate the recently appointed Satour board, under the chairmanship of Mr Saki Macozoma. I wish them well and success in their endeavours in marketing our beautiful South Africa to the world. We also hope more efforts will be made to enhance our African renaissance idea by opening more offices in Africa. I believe at present we only have one office, situated in Zimbabwe. Charity begins at home. An average African visitor spends R1 081 per day, while a British visitor spends R568. This is more reason for us to have more offices in Africa than in Britain. I hope the Minister will take note of this. [Applause.]

The apartheid system severely limited the scope of South African industry and caused serious economic imbalances. Many tourists abstained from travelling to South Africa during the apartheid years. It was only after the democratic elections in 1994, under the ANC-led Government, that this country gained worldwide recognition. South African tourism has increased substantially during the past six years. Today, it brings R20 billion, annually, into our economy, and is second only to the manufacturing and mining industries in its contribution to GDP.

However, let us look closely at the participation of the disadvantaged communities in this field. I want to say ``disadvantaged’’ because I know that Oom Reg September always says that they are not previously disadvantaged, they are still disadvantaged. [Interjections.] In that sense, I will refer to them as disadvantaged communities.

Two weeks ago, Satour had an indaba in Durban. The indaba is South Africa’s premier show, attended by more than 1 400 delegates from over 70 countries. There were more than 3 000 exhibitions. The aim of the indaba is to provide a platform for overseas delegates to familiarise themselves with South African tourism products and to interact with business leaders in the travel and tourism industry. This would eventually present foreign tourism with an opportunity to do business with local product-owners or manufacturers, in order to increase international tourism to South Africa.

If this is the aim of the indaba, I am sorry to say that, from what I witnessed in terms of participation last week, it is very clear that tourism still benefits a certain section of our society. It was painful and a shame for me to move around those stalls and witness very few stalls owned by emerging entrepreneurs. This indaba was held in Durban. The indigenous form of transport of that province is the rickshaw, and those rickshaws were not even exhibited.

It seems that in this industry the rich are getting richer and the poor poorer. The few black people who were there were mainly manning their masters’ stalls. I believe that we have passed good legislation in this Parliament, but the majority of people in this country still continue to be disadvantaged. These are the people who voted us into power and we owe them a better life. [Applause.]

I want to know how these exhibitors were chosen to participate in Indaba

1. Is this indaba accessible to emerging entrepreneurs? We have to question ourselves about that. Even though Satour is responsible, the Ministry has to take responsibility for this. The situation cannot be tolerated any more, and I am happy that the Minister has committed himself to intervening in this area. We will be happy to see a plan of action for future participation of emerging entrepreneurs in Indaba 2001. Some solutions could be found that will involve Satour, the provincial Satour boards and the established businesses in order for them to exhibit their products.

Our people are not interested in hand-outs any more. They want to be recognised, developed and marketed from being emerging businesses to big businesses. Just here in Khayelitsha there are a number of bed-and- breakfast businesses, owned and run by locals. They are professionals, they have an African touch and are quite reasonable. We have a bed-and-breakfast establishment called Kopanong, which is situated in C329 in Khayelitsha. That is a typical example. This family has converted their house into a business and a family home. Business has to be channelled to these people. There are many similar cases in all our townships in South Africa.

Foreign tourists say they are attracted to South Africa by wildlife, the scenery and its many cultures. They say visiting South Africa makes them see things with fresh eyes, and I think we have to make sure that they go and taste the Africa that we know - not the Africa that is being imitated. [Applause.]

Mr S E OPPERMAN: Madam Speaker and Minister, Marine and Coastal Management was the hot favourite when we had discussions with the director-general and other officials in preparation for the debate on our Vote.

In hierdie komponent is daar ernstige probleme wat uitgelig en opgelos moet word, en ek waardeer die gedagtes van die Minister en Adjunkminister in hierdie verband. [Tussenwerpsels.] [There are serious problems in this component, which need to be singled out and resolved, and I appreciate the thoughts of the Minister and the Deputy Minister in this regard. [Interjections.]] We blew the whistle months ago.

Dit is jammer dat dit toe afgemaak is as politieke sensasiesoekery, ook in ‘n aanval wat gelei is deur die agb Adjunkminister. [It is a pity that at the time it was slated as political sensationalism, also in an attack led by the hon the Deputy Minister.]

We will not cease our watchdog responsibility as official opposition.

Dit is ironies dat ons vandag die voorreg het om oor ‘n begroting te debatteer terwyl baie vissermanne as gevolg van swak administrasie en swak beplanning geen begroting het om brood op hulle tafel te plaas nie. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)

[It is ironic that we have the privilege of debating a budget today while, as a result of poor administration and poor planning, many fishermen have no budget with which to put food on the table.]

The crayfish season for subsistence fishermen ends at the end of May, yet many of their applications have not been processed and finalised.

In baie vissergemeenskappe is daar groot woede, pyn en ‘n gevoel van verwerping. [In many fishing communities there is a lot of anger, pain and a feeling of rejection.]

``We have been excluded from the process of transformation,’’ they say.

Baie skryf hul verknorsing toe aan burokratiese knoeiery. Die feit dat die oorgangsraad ook in duie gestort het, het nie gehelp om hul vrese te besweer nie. Ons verneem dankbaar dat die langlynstokvistoekenning vir 1999 uiteindelik sal plaasvind op 22 Mei 2000! In die afwesigheid van die oorgangsraad wonder ons net wie die toekennings sal doen of gedoen het. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)

[Many of them blame their predicament on bureaucratic bungling. The fact that the transitional council has also collapsed has not helped to allay their fears. We were grateful to learn that the 1999 allocation for long- line hake will eventually take place on 22 May 2000! In the absence of the transitional council, one wonders just who will be making or has made the allocations.]

We in the DP believe that the process for the allocation of fishing rights must be objective, transparent and free from any political interference.

Geen wanbestuur, geen korrupsie of enige vorm van nepotisme kan geduld word nie. Die donker wolk van wantroue wat oor die nywerheid hang, kan net deur ‘n onafhanklike ondersoek verdryf word, en ons het onlangs gehoor ons het baie, baie ondersoekeenhede, van Heath tot by Baqwa. Laat ons hierdie eenhede gebruik en laat ons die bevindings van hierdie eenhede op ‘n verantwoordelike wyse soos ‘n verantwoordelike Regering hanteer. Dit sal vir my die begin wees van die Afrika-renaissance. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)

[No mismanagement, no corruption or any form of nepotism should be tolerated. The dark cloud of mistrust that hangs over the industry can only be banished by an independent investigation, and we have recently heard that we have very many investigative units, from Heath to Baqwa. Let us use these units and deal with the findings of these units in a responsible way, like a responsible Government. To me, that would be the beginning of the African renaissance.]

We also believe that we need to remain focused on our mission to be responsible custodians, protectors and guardians of our marine and coastal resources and ecosystems. So, even in our striving for equity, we can learn from the present crisis in the taxi industry. One can only have a specific number of participants in a specific market. Therefore we in the DP say: Let the real fishermen do the fishing; then they will have a vested interest in helping to eliminate poaching.

Die vlak van wat ek die arrogante stropery van ons mariene bronne noem - en ons verwys nie net na perlemoen nie, maar ook onder meer na ons lynvisbronne - werp ‘n pynlike blik, eerstens, op die respek wat verbruikers behoort te hê vir die delikate balans wat ons in verhouding tot ons omgewing moet handhaaf, maar, tweedens, ook op die vermoë van die departement om ons bronne effektief te bestuur en te beskerm, en ek is dankbaar vir die finansiële bydrae wat gegee is sodat hierdie aspek uitgebrei kan word. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)

[The level of what I call the arrogant poaching of our marine resources - and we are not only referring to abalone, but also to long-line fishing resources, inter alia - is a painful reflection, firstly, on the respect which consumers ought to have for the delicate balance that we must maintain in relation to our environment, but also, secondly, on the ability of the department to manage and protect our resources effectively, and I am grateful for the financial contribution that has been made towards the development of this aspect.]

Poachers are destroying part of our future, and this is a situation that we cannot allow to continue unchallenged. We in the DP hope that with education and zero tolerance from our communities, our marine inspectorate and other law-enforcement institutions, we will deal with the problem effectively. [Applause.]

Mr R K SEPTEMBER: Madam Speaker, a great deal has been said about the importance of developing international tourism, and quite rightly so because of its tremendous potential. But what about local tourism - an industry which is, of course, essentially white in our country, unfortunately?

Black South Africans need to become acquainted with South Africa. This is an avenue which has always been open to white South Africans only. Even if one had the money, what hotel would have let one in? What golf course would welcome one? For that matter, where could one even swim? Members can ask Peter Hendrickse about that. After all, one did not just want to go from one township to another to be greeted by a rubbish dump, something which most people on the more privileged side of the House know absolutely nothing about.

For the first time in the history of our country, we can now pay serious attention to the question of tourism for black South Africans - all of us of colour. Tourism needs to be opened to black South Africans in the country of their birth for the first time. This means that we need to cater for those of our people who cannot afford five-star accommodation and expensive airfares. For example, it costs more to travel to Nairobi than to fly to London. Yet we know how important it is for our people to become acquainted with the people in neighbouring countries.

Only today can we go to Knysna or the Kruger National Park, but unfortunately most of our people cannot afford it. When I returned from exile, I was shocked to discover that there was no passenger train service between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth - none at all, only the goods train. That, of course, has been changed since. Our mainline train service for white South Africans, in the days when mainline trains were used by MPs and civil servants, was excellent. It even included silver service in the dining room - for whites only, of course, and we were given only one coach next to the engine of the train.

Thereafter, when people like ourselves were anxious to use the facilities, we found them to be sorely neglected. Of course, by then most South Africans were using planes. I propose that whoever is responsible for mainline train services, should ensure that we improve our intercity train service if - and I want to stress this - we want to attract passengers and develop tourism.

Let us look at Europe and see what I mean. I must ask the question: Was the mainline service allowed to run down simply because black South Africans began using it? Our bus service has suffered in the same way. A recent shock survey revealed that over 90% of the buses tested were below standard and not roadworthy. A modern up-to-date mainline train service and a well- maintained bus service will, certainly, contribute significantly to tourist travel in our country.

Let me say a word or two regarding transport for the disabled. Should a disabled person in a wheelchair wish to travel from Cape Town to Johannesburg, the only practical form of travel is by air. This means, in effect, that only those who can afford the airfare can travel. However necessary the trip, the person will not be able to undertake the journey. Mainline trains, at least, need to provide facilities to enable the poor disabled to board the trains with their wheelchairs and be properly accommodated.

I believe that if such facilities were provided, we would attract many needy local and foreign travellers. Certainly, it would be in keeping with the Government’s attitude towards the disabled. Today, for example, it is easier to transport a car by rail than it is for a person travelling with a wheelchair. We must stop providing for so-called normal people only.

If we think of transport between cities in South Africa, we will no doubt find that a significant number of people travel by minibus taxi. We observe that the proposed new scheme for city taxis is still at the discussion stage, and the differences among transporters continue to plague our cities. Perhaps the Department of Transport should consider the earlier introduction of the scheme among those licensed to ply their taxi trade between cities. The result will be a distinct improvement in comfort and, of course, safety and tourism.

In our sister state of Tanzania, which is linked to us historically by the slave trade, one cannot but help notice the frequency with which visitors are greeted with the word karibu'', meaningwelcome’’. What a difference it would make to our tourist industry if our own population welcomed visitors with such courtesy! But this will only come about once black South Africans are brought into the whole process of tourism. This can only come about when black South Africans become joint beneficiaries and owners of this industry. [Applause.]

Mr I S MFUNDISI: Madam Speaker, hon Minister and hon members, the responsibility of environmental management resides in various Government departments such as Agriculture and Land Affairs, Water Affairs and Forestry, Health and Minerals and Energy. However, the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism serves as the policy-formulating and co- ordinating body in this regard.

South Africa ranks as the third most biologically diverse country in the world. The flora and fauna in this country are envied by people from most countries. Our country is a highly attractive tourist destination, full of promise and potential, if we can only overcome some internal constraints that inhibit tourism, among others crime and violence. The country’s workers are inadequately trained for the service industries. However, we hope, as the Minister indicated earlier on, that something is being done in that regard. The country has to develop a tourism-friendly attitude, so that when people come over here, they will appreciate and see, as we always say, that there is passion for people.

It is, however, not a lost cause at all, because the country also boasts some strengths which facilitate growth in tourism. Our tourism assets are of incomparable quality in some instances. Apparently that is why people in some cases have pledged them as security for their own interests. There is a depth to and diversity of tourist products, such as cultural attractions and ecotourism. The peaceful political transition in this country resulted in a very positive global perception. For that we can pat ourselves on the back.

The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park between South Africa and Botswana, to which the Minister referred earlier, was opened by President Mbeki last Friday and is a clear indication that tourism is a unifying factor. We look forward to the establishment of transfrontier conservation areas that will bring the parks of Gaza in Mozambique, the Kruger National Park in South Africa and Gonarezhou in Zimbabwe together. This will benefit not only these three countries, but also the greater Pan African community.

There is, however, some concern in that the regulations governing the National Environmental Management Act of 1998, which was promulgated in 1999, still have to be drafted. We hope, in the able and capable hands of the Ministry, that this will be done in such a way as to ensure that things go well in this industry. We support the Vote. [Applause.]

Mr P A C HENDRICKSE: Madam Speaker, first of all allow me to congratulate the Minister on his impassioned approach to his portfolio. The tourism industry has been identified as a key sector of our economy on the basis of its multiplier effect and therefore its impact on job creation and economic development. The diverse services and facilities that go into the tourism experience range from the major hotel and casino developments to the pavement curio vendor on a beach front promenade. The opportunities seem to be unlimited, or so it seems.

The one sector within the tourism industry that has up to now not received the attention it deserves is the tourist guide sector. This crucial sector provides our industry with the ambassadors that profile our country and what it stands for. This sector has been dominated by only one section of our population and, believe it or not, by expatriates. This dominance has resulted in our tourists being taken on routes that excluded the majority of our people, the areas we live in and the experience of the South Africa we hold dear.

Recent media reports have highlighted this state of affairs. Our tourists are subjected to a clinical Eurocentric view of our country. The true South African experience that offers our multicultural ethos and the spectacular splendour of our landscapes is excluded. The couriers of our country’s message are second-hand. Rather than engaging the very people that live and understand the issues, our community leaders and people are excluded. Is it any surprise then that the tourism industry remains an intrigue?

The proposition that tourists do not feel safe in our areas is ludicrous. How can one feel and experience safety when an alien or bizarre arrival seeks to exclude rather than include the very communities? The tourist guide accompanying the group professes to be the all-endowed expert, but merely verbalises an acquired knowledge. In most instances, the guide advises the tourist against an integrated approach. The tourist guide is the one that is not embraced by the communities, as he or she has not bothered to meet with, understand or engage the communities.

Who better to tell the stories about the history of our country, to give explanations of rock art, our lifestyle and our surroundings, than those who lived and live it? Hence, we have the ``zoo approach’’ in which coach buses rove the streets of our townships, tourists merrily clicking their cameras without as much as exchanging a word with the locals. Where then will be the benefits of tourism that we talk about, the promise of the great delivery?

The Welcome campaign seeks to turn South Africans into a welcoming nation. How can this be done if we exclude the majority of our people from any tangible benefits? For our people to understand and accept the promise we need to demonstrate and ensure the delivery of these benefits. Economic barriers and obstacles to trading and registration give limited access to the industry. The answer has to be to make entry into the industry more accessible. The cost of training courses, where these courses are conducted, the criteria for registration and the recognition for prior learning must be part of this scheme of things to come.

The content of training courses and the development of itineraries and scripts need to be refined and updated. In the eighties the script of a tour of Cape Town, when tourists viewed Robben Island in the untouchable distance, would be completely different to the script of today. One can even hear those tourist guides talking about the island that housed the terrorists''. Has our general knowledge and content changed by virtue of 27 April 1994? Has this been tested, and by whom? The routes and itineraries marketed in South Africa still offer the black experience as an annexure to the main experience. Theghetto approach’’ to engaging blacks in tourism is still prevalent. Should the true South African experience not be mainstreamed?

The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, together with the portfolio committee, has spent an enormous amount of time piloting amendments that govern this sector of the tourism industry in order to ensure that this very practice ends. It has set the pace for the first stages of the transformation of this industry.

We are confident that these changes will address some of the concerns raised by our communities in seeking a role in this industry, particularly in regard to an integrated approach to the tourist guide sector. We trust that the other amendments that address the tourism industry at large will soon follow. The ANC will give its full support to such a process.

We must see to it that our people get access to the industry, are provided with a quality tourism experience, enjoy a market share of the sector and, more importantly, that they will be full partners in growing the tourism industry for the benefit of the country’s economy. Let the ``Oom Dawies’’ be part of this sector and they will do us proud.

Ms J A SEMPLE: Mr Chairperson, actions speak louder than words. Nothing could indicate the Government’s commitment to tourism as a powerhouse of job creation and foreign exchange earnings more than the fact that the budget for tourism has been increased by more than R100 million rand at a time when all other Government departments are having their budgets squeezed.

Marketing is, of course, a never-ending, money-eating machine. Australia, which could be seen as our biggest competitor in the longhaul travel market, but which, I would argue, does not have nearly the quality or quantity of South Africa’s natural and cultural attractions, spends almost four times the amount that we do on the marketing of tourism. However, the increase in our marketing budget, the stature and high calibre of our new Satour board and the streamlining of Satour’s function to being solely a marketing body certainly gives all players in the South African tourism industry hope for great improvement in this regard.

The announcement by the Minister of Finance of a R100 departure tax would greatly alleviate further resource problems if that money could be channelled into tourist activities instead of the general fiscus. The DP does not believe another separate tourists’ tax is necessary. The money raised from the departure tax - estimated at R280 million a year from Cape Town International Airport alone - would go a long way towards funding, for example, more immigration officers at our international airports. In many cases, immigration officers are the first impressions tourists receive. That impression would be vastly improved if they were fast, efficient, and friendly. [Interjections.]

No matter how much money is spent on marketing, there are, of course, still some problems to be sorted out. Once tourists have been lured to destinations, they must feel that they have had value for money, and most important of all, they must want to come back again.

The DP welcomes the Minister’s announcements regarding the accommodation grading system. We would, however, like some commitment to timeframes. Nearly a year has passed since any grading took place and some hotels have not been inspected for as much as four years. We still maintain that the section 21 committee, with the standard set by the Department of Trade and Industry, against which accommodation could be graded, is the right way to go. We need to move fast on this issues or else our credibility as a world- class tourist destination will be further compromised.

In 1997, a comprehensive accommodation guide was published containing detailed information of all Satour’s accredited and graded accommodation establishments. This was distributed worldwide by all Satour branch offices. It has not been published since 1999. Many small accommodation establishments, which cannot afford to pay for advertising in more expensive brochures, rely on that Satour publication for referrals. The guide is apparently no longer available in some overseas Satour offices, and this has led to a decline in business for the many listed accommodation establishments.

It is an accepted fact that it is in the small business sector, particularly in the service industries, where jobs are created. Many tourists also prefer the more personal atmosphere of smaller establishments. It is essential for SMMEs in the tourism sector to get maximum benefit and exposure from Satour’s marketing strategies.

Further issues of safety and security, training standards, etc have all been addressed. We cannot afford not to give our tourists a good impression. We need them to go away and spread the word about our wonderful country, its people and its places. Too many South Africans have invested time, money and expectations in tourism for us to fail in this regard. [Applause.]

Mr M I MOSS: Chairperson, Minister Valli Moosa, Deputy Minister and colleagues, I would first and foremost like to congratulate and applaud the hon the Minister for his endeavours to improve environmental affairs and tourism, in particular. The tourism industry is currently the second largest income earner in our economy. It is also seen as one of the key areas in terms of the Reconstruction and Development Programme’s job creation and poverty alleviation strategy.

The White Paper on an Integrated National Disability Strategy states:

Through the establishment of the Office for Disabled Persons, our Government wishes to express its unswerving commitment to the upliftment and improvement of the conditions of those members of our society who are disabled.

The disabled communities, of which the majority are black and poor, have been oppressed and disadvantaged by the past regimes and their legacies. The position of the present Government in this respect is clear. It aims to ensure our society’s transformation into a nondiscriminatory one in which all people, and disabled people in particular, can participate fully and enjoy their rights.

Tourism needs to be made more accessible to disabled people. Disabled people are less likely to find jobs in the tourism sector, or to enjoy its full benefits as tourists. Most prices are too high for them. Many tourist destinations have price rebates for children, students and pensioners because of their lower-than-average income levels. This should be extended to include disabled tourists. Most disabled people do not have their own cars, and thus are reliant upon public transport. However, most forms of public transport, in terms of infrastructure and staff, do not meet the needs of disabled people. Trains, buses and taxis were not built to accommodate disabled people, as the hon Reggie September has pointed out. Yet they are the cheapest modes of transport.

The airline industry has made some progress in this regard, but much still needs to be done. Their high prices are also largely out of reach for the majority of our disabled people. There is a colleague of mine, Debbie, in the gallery. She was not allowed to take her dog on board, although she was using the dog as a companion. These are some of the issues that need to be addressed, as disabled people are different people.

Most buildings and places of recreation, like sportfields and hotels, are still inaccessible. Incidentally, I would like to use Newlands rugby stadium as an example. Physically disabled people from the Netherlands could not watch a soccer match between Ajax Cape Town and Jomo Cosmos because of the lack of facilities. On Wednesday 17 May 2000 the same thing was repeated when a group of disabled children had to sit and watch inconveniently from the allocated standing area. Needless to say, they could hardly see the whole match or enjoy the event.

Tourist destinations are particularly inaccessible to blind and deaf people. Tour guides, for example, need to be trained in sign language so as to be able to communicate with deaf people more effectively. Cinemas and places like Table Mountain, Robben Island and other tourist attractions need to provide audio services and guides that can verbally describe such activities and the movies. Disabled people should not be seen as people who must be hidden or isolated, but must be treated as an integral part of society.

However, there are also good points of improvement. The Cape Metropolitan Council has, for example, disabled people who serve on the board to advise them on transport for disabled people in the Western Cape. [Time expired.] [Applause.]

Dr A I VAN NIEKERK: Mr Chairperson, I would like to start by congratulating the Minister, the Deputy Minister, the Ministry, on the job that they are doing in this department. I should also like to congratulate the chairperson of the portfolio committee on enabling us to participate and make our contributions. [Applause.]

I would like to make a few remarks. I think one of the problems within the department is the matter of the fishing industry, where quotas and our natural resources are placed under pressure. I think the Minister should give attention to that. I am particularly worried about our natural resources along our coasts. I do some skin-diving, and when I look at what is going on, I am worried. At night, when the fishing boats come in, I think that they have caught the fish that I should catch from the shore.

Een van die probleme in ons land met toerisme is dat ons ons toespits op buitelandse toerisme, maar wat van die binnelandse toeris? Dit kan ‘n belangrike rol speel om mense mekaar te laat leer ken sodat ons mekaar se kulture kan sien en, veral in die nuwe Suid-Afrika, mekaar kan herontmoet. Ek dink die binnelandse toeris kan ‘n baie groot bydrae lewer om Suid- Afrika werklik te laat ontwikkel in die rigting waarin ons wil gaan.

Een van die probleme hier is egter - en dit is wat die agb lede nnr September en mnr Moss ook nou net gesê het - dit word net te duur. ‘n Mens kan maar vandag probeer om met jou gesin teen Tafelberg uit te gaan en kyk wat dit jou kos. ‘n Mens kan probeer om ‘n naweek in die Nasionale Krugerwildtuin te gaan bly, dan kos dit ‘n fortuin. Die meeste mense kan dit nie bekostig nie, en op die ou end raak die fasiliteite wat in Suid- Afrika deur die buitelanders benut word vir ons eenvoudig te duur. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)

[One of the problems in our country with regard to tourism is that we are now concentrating on foreign tourism, but what about the local tourists? This can play an important role in helping people to get to know one another so that we can see one another’s cultures and, especially in the new South Africa, meet one another again. I think the local tourist can make a very big contribution in allowing South Africa really to develop in the direction in which we want to move.

However, one of the problems here - and this is what the hon members Mr September and Mr Moss have also just said - is that it is simply becoming too expensive. One need only try to take one’s family up Table Mountain today and see what it costs one. One can try to spend a weekend in the Kruger National Park, and it will cost a fortune. Most people cannot afford it, and eventually the facilities utilised by foreigners in South Africa simply become too expensive for us.]

I think that we should look at the price differentiation between the tourists from outside and the tourists within South Africa to make facilities affordable, or, at least, to make concessions to those poorest of the poor who cannot afford them, so that they could also access the different facilities which we have in South Africa.

As ons kyk na ‘n belangrike ding wat gebeur het, maar waaroor ek baie bly is, is dit die samevoeging van parke, byvoorbeeld in die geval van die Kalahari Gemsbokpark en die Kgalagadipark van Botswana. Dit is ‘n baie goeie, positiewe ontwikkeling, en ek dink dié tipe ontwikkeling behoort verder gevoer te word deur die Nasionale Krugerwildtuin, soos beplan word, in samewerking met Mosambiek in ‘n groter park te omskep. Dit is noodsaaklik. As ons op die ou end ons wild en ons bronne wil laat oorleef, het ons groter eenhede nodig waarin die diere in ‘n natuurliker omgewing kan voortleef en waarin ons die navorsing wat ons gedoen het, werklik kan toepas. Dit is belangrik, en ek wil die agb Minister bedank vir die werk wat hy in dié verband gedoen het. [Tyd verstreke.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)

[Let us look at something important that has happened, but about which I am very glad, namely the consolidation of parks, for instance in the case of the Kalahari Gemsbok Park and the Kgalagadi Park in Botswana. This is a very good, positive development, and I think this type of development should be taken further by converting the Kruger National Park into a larger park, in co-operation with Mozambique, as is being planned. This is necessary. If our ultimate aim is the survival of our wildlife and our resources, we need bigger units in which the animals can exist in a more natural environment and in which we can really apply the research we have done. This is important, and I want to thank the hon the Minister for the work he has done in this regard. [Time expired.]]

Ms G L MAHLANGU: Mr Chairperson, hon Minister, Deputy Minister and other Ministers present …

Mr D H M GIBSON: Are there any? Ms G L MAHLANGU: Yes there are! [Interjections.] I know the hon member aspires to be one. [Interjections.]

It becomes so difficult to say anything after the excellent speeches that we have had this morning.

Mr D H M GIBSON: Especially from Janet Semple! [Laughter.]

Mr G L MAHLANGU: Political stability, good governance and greater social and economic equity are essential elements for sustainable development. South Africa’s transition to democracy is the first step towards achieving that goal. While managing resources in a sustainable manner, an environmental policy that focuses mainly on the conservation and protection of resources must take due account of those who depend on the environment for their livelihood.

We have in this country a Constitution which guarantees a clean and safe environment for everybody. How do we achieve this in the absence of punitive measures against those who degrade the environment? The National Environmental Management Act emphasises the polluter-pays principle, which becomes impossible when the industrial sector is self-regulating.

The new White Paper on Integrated Pollution and Waste Management for South Africa, which aims to totally change South Africa’s approach to handling waste is awaited by all South Africans. When that is launched, we can start talking about pollution prevention and waste minimisation.

A clean and protected environment is what all of us need, and for a country to be in a position to market itself internationally, one of the tools to attract tourists is a clean environment. Just to give an example, a tourist who has just arrived in Cape Town, while waiting for his or her luggage, is welcomed by a stench which actually gets stronger, I believe, when planes land in Cape Town. This is that tourist’s first impression. On his or her way from the airport to the city are the Athlone cooling towers, also with their legendary stench. If it is a clear day he or she will be able to glimpse the Caltex refinery. With a bit of luck one is even able to see Koeberg and, eventually, if it is a windy day, the streets of Cape Town, littered with plastic bags.

Most developed countries have dropped the use of coal, and are starting to phase out nuclear energy. South Africa, on the contrary, is pouring a lot of money into efforts to revive old sources of energy. At this rate we are at risk of attracting the northern industries that do not want to comply with environmental regulations. There are short-term benefits from these kinds of practices, but for business only. South Africa as a nation will not benefit in the long term.

I know I certainly sound as if it is doomsday, but it is definitely not. The programmes that the Minister’s department has put in place have made us all proud. We can do still better. We have seen the projects the Minister’s department is involved in, such as the transfrontier conservation areas, the world heritage sites, the Lubombo and Wild Coast spatial development initiatives, the Cape floral kingdom, the expansion of the Addo Elephant Park, waste management projects and community-based resource management projects. We received with excitement the Minister’s announcement on plastic bag regulations and the official release of the White Paper on Integrated Pollution and Waste Management for South Africa.

The establishment of proper waste-management services requires a change of attitude in those with the power to make decisions. Many people are quick to blame local councils for nondelivery without studying the situation on the ground. The scrutiny of the problem, many a time, lies in the history of the past, which cannot be changed by the councils alone. We are now in an era that requires national planners, administrators and leaders to realise that cleaning the environment is as important as the defence of a country. The mindset must change. The fact of the matter is that waste management has never ever enjoyed the priority given to its sister, social services.

There is also a phenomenal tendency to blame the poor and less privileged for indiscriminate littering. Yet, it is evident that the worst culprits with regard to improper waste management practices are the rich, the educated, the industrialists, the institutions of learning, the Government institutions and the business communities. We must balance the facts and set the record straight.

This change of attitude can be achieved through an intense sensitisation programme for members of the public. This is what the Government has sought to do through the waste management strategy. This task needs collaboration between agencies of Government, nongovernmental organisations, the private sector, the academic world and the business community.

We as public representatives have a role to play. We have communicated with the Secretary to Parliament about this institution itself becoming an example. Members will see a number of changes. For example, we get two copies of Order Papers, but we only need one. It should be our responsibility to bring that one into the Chamber. [Applause.]

For many here at home and within the international community, South Africa remains the twinkling star of the nursery rhyme. It is a destination which they feel is so near and yet so far. Because of its great political achievements it has endeared itself to these multitudes, the majority of whom feel its embrace which seems to overwhelm them. It overwhelms them because to them it is both a reality and a miracle.

As in the nursery rhyme, they say ``how I wonder what you are’’. This is the longing of both our former colonisers and the former slaves of countries beyond and those who were colonised within the borders of the continent to know and better appreciate this part of our continent. Therefore, when the reggae singer Eddy Grant sings Hello Africa - those members who love music will understand what I am talking about … [Interjections.] [Laughter.] I do not know whether the Chairperson of Committees will allow me to sing. [Laughter.] [Interjections.] … he expresses this longing … [Interjections.] I can sing very well; members can ask me after the sitting.

Everyone out there feels that they are bound to this beautiful country by something, something they cannot understand, yet something powerful. During the years of isolation they heard so much about the people of this country and their struggles. Yet, when apartheid South Africa spoke to them, they could only hear about the climate, the animals, the beaches and, occasionally, the chance for the former colonisers to come back to live like kings with blacks in attendance.

No wonder the reggae singer Eddy Grant, expressing his longing for Africa, can only ask the question: ``How are you, Africa? How are the lions and the tigers?’’ Yet, we are the home of many graves of British soldiers, French Huguenots, German missionaries and their grandchildren. We live with their grandchildren, they are part of our nonracial nation. We are the country whose gold and diamonds glitter on their fingers.

Today we expose ourselves, our bond to them and theirs to us. It is culture, our culture, the things we have seen done and articulated, the worshipful cultivation of our land, the seas, our mountains, the valleys and everything that defines us as human. It is a fact that South Africa and the Sterkfontein Caves are the cradle of mankind, the origin of all humankind.

But there is another side to South Africa. I present to members the country’s rainbow people and their colourful cultural heritage. We believe that they are even more exiting and diverse than our beautiful country itself. Our people have a unique and wonderful expression of life. We dance and sing and make music in many different ways, we speak and paint and tell stories as no other people do, we eat, we wear, we create value and celebrate that which is uniquely our own. We are South Africans.

And the Minister is not wrong by allocating much money to tourism, because we can create more jobs. We can make South Africa a better place for everybody, only if we start revisiting our patriotism. We are not patriotic. We do not support South African goods, we do not support South African food. I can ask my officials and I would be very happy if one of them has spent the night at a bed-and-breakfast owned by a disadvantaged person.

We speak about disadvantaged people participating in the tourism industry, but we do not create the market. What are we doing? I challenge all the people who have budgets. I challenge all the chairpersons of committees. Those finger lunches can also be made by women around this area. [Applause.] The sandwiches for the functions that we have in this Parliament can be made by people who are begging in the streets of Cape Town.

An HON MEMBER: Bua! [Speak!]

Ms G L MAHLANGU: We can make a difference only with the money that is given to us.

An HON MEMBER: Amagwinya! [Vetkoek!]

Ms G L MAHLANGU: I have taken a decision with my committee and a number of chairpersons that never ever will we spend a cent on an advantaged person. We must create a market for our people to start participating. [Applause.] That is why we are not going to give members any finger lunch after this. We are taking our party to Gugulethu to get the facilities that black people can also offer so that we start slicing the cake. There is enough of this cake, but it is only concentrated in a few. We need to say, South Africa belongs to all. We need to set an example.

As public representatives, how many of us use travel agents that belong to black people? [Interjections.] How many of us support taxis that belong to black people? How many of us eat from the hands of disadvantaged people? [Interjections.] How many of us stop just one day to greet a disadvantaged person? [Applause.] [Interjections.] How many of us do those things? We should not come and take public stages like this one and say that disadvantaged people should participate when we do not create a market.

We want to create the market and this department itself, as a department given the responsibility of tourism, should lead the way. We say to the director-general that we will boycott all those parties that are hosted by the Holiday Inns and the Mount Nelsons. We will not come to those parties. [Interjections.] We will make sure that we go and have umngqusho [samp and beans] at home. [Interjections.] [Applause.]

The MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AND TOURISM: Chairperson, that was the closing speech of the debate. I am worried about speaking for too long because I would like this atmosphere to stay with us for quite a long time. [Laughter.] [Applause.]

I would like to address just two matters. The first is that a number of people have made reference to the fact that the tourism industry in this country is still very white-owned. I would just like to make one or two comments about that. Like the hon Mbuyazi and the hon Ramotsamai, I was struck by this when I attended the indaba for the first time in Durban just over a week ago.

For those members who do not know, Indaba 2000 is a major tourism expo in the world. It is hosted in Durban every year. There are about 800 companies that have exhibits there and some 4 000 exhibits across Durban’s ICC. It is so huge that the ICC, the biggest convention centre in Africa, is actually too small. So what they do is to close a whole lot of roads and link up the ICC with the Durban Convention Centre and all of that becomes a huge expo centre, very beautiful, very nice with lots of nice things to do and to see. But as I walked through those aisles, what struck me was that only white people were involved in tourism. One could not help but be struck by it. One just had the feeling that here we are, working so hard, spending so many taxpayers’ rands to make white people rich or richer.

HON MEMBERS: Richer! [Interjections.]

The MINISTER: One got that sense without being ethnic about it. It struck one very much.

I met with all provinces earlier this week, on Tuesday. I met with the provincial MECs, and this is a matter that we then placed on the agenda. We decided that, at the next meeting of Minmec, we are going to clear all the items on the agenda. All that we shall be doing is to have a discussion between me and the nine provincial MECs, supported by all of the tourism authorities, about what can be done to change this unhappy situation. [Applause.] I would like to invite the chairperson of the portfolio committee to participate in a meeting with us. Perhaps she will be able to reflect the kind of mood and sense of this debate in that particular meeting.

The second point that I would like to pick up on is the one made by the hon Moorcroft about greedy developers. What he did not say, which I would like to just comment on, is that, in many parts of the country, particularly in coastal areas and along the beaches, there are wealthy people who are putting up illegal holiday homes. They are not poor people who do not have a roof over their heads, but reasonably wealthy people who are simply ignoring or bypassing the law. Quite a lot of this is happening along the former Transkei coast. There are many illegal dwellings over there. I have asked the department to begin to take steps in that regard, and I hope that the House will support me, because it is not going to be easy. A lot of people are going to be talking about their property rights and such things, but it is really illegal properties that they have put up over there. I am quite determined not to rest until we are able to bulldoze all of those illegal dwellings along the coastline, owned by wealthy people, and which spoil the beaches for everybody. [Interjections.] The hon Kalako - I do not know whether he is still here - made a few comments about the department. May I assure him that we have a department that I consider to be competent …

Dr C P MULDER: Mr Chairman, is the hon the Minister prepared to take a question? [Interjections.]

The MINISTER: Yes, Chairperson.

The CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES: Order! The Minister will take a question.

Dr C P MULDER: Thank you, sir. I hear the Minister saying that he is determined and will not rest until he has bulldozed all the houses belonging to the so-called wealthy people. Is the Minister determined to do that only with regard to the so-called wealthy people’s houses or with regard to all illegal houses being built in those areas? [Interjections.]

The CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES: Order!

The MINISTER: Let me say to the hon Mulder that I was responding to a point which the hon Moorcroft raised and what he was speaking about. The point was that, if we are not careful about development, what we would do is to forever destroy the environment, particularly along the coastal areas. That is more or less the point he was making, and I was responding to that as such.

What I was saying is that apart from the rampant development, what is even worse is the illegal development that is taking place, and that illegal development is what we will put an end to. I am quite determined to bulldoze all the illegal homes that have been set up in these ecosensitive areas as such. Let me assure the members that along these beaches there are no poor people that have come there to put up shacks because they do not have homes. It is generally wealthy people, who have homes elsewhere.

I was saying that I should assure the hon Kalako that we have a department which is not only competent and professional, but also loyal. I must really say to the hon member that any suggestion that anything we may or may not be doing sufficiently is as a result of the old order in the department, is completely untrue. In fact, there would not be any justification for any Government department to be controlled by the old order after six years of democracy. So, I must put at rest any sleepless nights that the hon member may be having as far as that is concerned.

Let me finally take this opportunity to thank my predecessor, Dr Pallo Jordaan, and his former Deputy Minister, Mr Peter Mokaba, for the work which they have done and for the manner in which the handover took place, which made it possible for us, so to speak, to hit the ground running. I think that we have succeeded in being able to do that. I would also like to thank members of the portfolio committee and the chairperson, Gwen Mahlangu, for the support which we have received from the portfolio committee. We hope that we will be able to continue working as a team. [Applause.]

Debate concluded. TOURISM AMENDMENT BILL

                       (Second Reading debate)

The DEPUTY MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AND TOURISM: Mr Chairperson, hon members, we stand before members today with very warm hearts as we debate this Tourism Amendment Bill. This is a continuation of a process of transforming our tourism sector. The present Tourism Act narrowly defines the qualifications necessary to become a tour guide.

This Bill seeks to facilitate the entry of persons from the disadvantaged sectors of the community by the recognition of prior learning and experiential learning in accordance with applicable education and training legislation. Further, this Bill seeks to remove the tourist guides’ registration functions from Satour in pursuance of the objective to convert Satour into purely a marketing agency.

The Bill provides for the transfer of the proposed national tourist guide function from Satour to the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, and the proposed provincial tourist guide function down to the provincial level. This will require co-ordination between the department and the provinces to facilitate the implementation of the provincial tourist guide functions.

The tourist guide staff members residing at Satour at present will be accommodated in the department. The logistics are being put in place for this transitional arrangement, which will be finalised as soon as this Bill becomes law. It will be the responsibility of the national registrar and the department to establish and maintain a national database of all tour guides.

The national registrar will, in consultation with the provincial tourist guide registrars, prepare a code of conduct for tourist guides, hear and determine appeals lodged, roll out programmes to improve quality of service in the guiding sector, facilitate broader access of historically disadvantaged communities into tour guiding, monitor trends in the tourist guiding industry by conducting research and analysis and publishing tourist guide information. The department will assist provinces in establishing tour guide registers as an ongoing process. Those provinces that have indicated their inability to consolidate the function into their provinces at this stage will have to be assisted.

The Bill further devolves the tourist guide registration function to provinces and provides for the appointment of a provincial tourist guide registrar whose function, as prescribed in the Bill, shall be to register tourist guides and maintain a provincial register for this purpose, to promote and develop the tourist guiding industry in the province, to publish information about other matters relating to the industry and to handle complaints and exercise disciplinary powers in respect of tourist guides as provided by law.

Furthermore, the provincial registrars will liaise with the National Registrar of Tourist Guides in an effort to ensure that all activities associated with the position are conducted and completed to the highest standard of service, quality and professional behaviour possible, attend meetings and functions associated with the position and manage and maintain standards of tourist guiding on a provincial basis.

They will also ensure that meaningful training is applied and that the students are afforded this opportunity, which has never happened in the past. They will also deal with enquiries - telephonic, written and in person - associated with the tourist guide sector. They will also manage and convene the registration panel process, in association with the National Registrar of Tourist Guides, assist with the administration of financial transactions associated with the registration process, and ensure full co-ordination of this responsibility with the relevant financial officer.

South Africa is a country of numerous natural and human wonders waiting to be discovered by both domestic and foreign tourists. South Africa is uniquely distinct from other world destinations. It boasts modern infrastructure and sophisticated communication networks that make it completely competitive in the world market. It is blessed with a unique and varied cultural heritage, rich biological diversity and probably one of the earth’s most beautiful surfaces.

With a coastline that stretches for about 3 000 km between Namibia in the west and Mozambique in the east, South Africa has the third highest level of biological diversity in the world with over 10 000 plant and animal species. Almost 15% of the coastal species known worldwide are found in South African waters, with 12% of these occurring nowhere else in the world but in South Africa. Our wetlands, 16 of which are of international importance, and our cultural and heritage sites, three of which have world heritage status, boost South Africa’s status as a formidable world competitor in tourism.

These features, including the many I have not mentioned, have remained unexposed to the world. It is these tourism features that must be fully optimised to sell South Africa to tourists, while conserving their worth and sustainability to ensure their life through generations to come.

We are, however, challenged to put the industry on the route towards transformation. If our work as Government is to be justified and credible in the eyes of the majority, we surely have to define a course for ensuring not only access for the emerging entrepreneur, but mass involvement in tourism products and business. We are, through this Bill, seeking to open up the field to as many people as possible, especially those from the previously disadvantaged communities. This opening up will occur by creating greater job opportunities for them as, amongst other things, tour guides, and placing formerly excluded local destinations and attractions squarely on the domestic and international tourism maps.

The growth of tourism in this country should not perpetuate the exploitation of our people, especially of those in the poorer communities. These concerns recently came to the fore during the Tourism Indaba in Durban. Tour guides let South Africans know more about other parts of their country and lay the foundations for effective nation-building. Proper knowledge of our past and present will assist to build a solid future. Tour guides open up South Africa to the rest of the world, allowing more and more people to get the proper and accurate picture of the country.

This Bill will also ensure that the many illegal tour guides out there can become legitimate ones. Members of the public will now be able to report them to the provincial registrar if they have complaints and also commend them when they have done the right thing. These watchdogs will hopefully encourage better services and products in the sector.

Tour guides must know their environment. They must live in it and take pride in it. It is this that makes local people the best guides to lead tourists through these experiences and wealth of products. As we know, when one travels one finds that there are tour guides who may be, for example, from Gauteng and are out there operating in the far north even though there are people who reside in that area, who understand and know the history of the place. That must come to an end. Most of our tour guides are amongst the best, but are not recognised, and this Bill is going to assist us in changing that.

In conclusion, the tourism sector is not standing aloof as the winds of the African renaissance blow across this continent. In the same way that larger numbers of tour guides will be needed in order to market South Africa, it will also be necessary for the rest of the continent. As we market Africa by subregion, as groups of destinations, countries and so on, we will need tour guides who are experts in more than a few destinations, countries and regions. These tour guides will need to be multiskilled, multicultural and know a number of languages. This is very exciting, as it will now allow for knowledge about African people to rapidly expand and hopefully engender African opportunities for trade, investment and greater tourist flows, etc. Tourism, if well harnessed, can make the African renaissance a reality in a short time.

In an attempt to mobilise the support of our public, we have launched the South African Welcome campaign as a flagship tourism awareness programme aimed at establishing us in tourism. Our people need to understand the value of tourism to our country in general and in their daily lives. This campaign acknowledges that our success as a tourist destination rests on how we package our products and services, and the treatment we give to our tourists. All of our people, from the woman and man selling arts and crafts on the street and the petrol attendant in a remote petrol station to the frontline staff at the hotels, the ports of entry and in Guguletu, need to know how to treat tourists and travellers alike. This is the essence of the Welcome campaign. The message is simple: Tourism is everybody’s business.

The tourism and hospitality, sports, education and training authority will be responsible for the setting of standards and norms pertaining to the tour guide sector. Whilst we encourage the maintenance of high standards, barriers in these areas should not be erected. We should also endeavour to embrace as much experience as possible in the training of the tour guides.

The department, through its tourism enterprise development, provides assistance to small, medium and microtourism enterprises, especially those who were previously disadvantaged. Our people have to improve service standards, increase the range of services and products that we offer tourists and treat everybody with dignity and respect. This will surely make us a winning nation and really grow our tourism sector and its related industries. [Applause.]

Ms G L MAHLANGU: Mr Chairperson, today marks a momentous occasion in that it constitutes an important milestone in the quest to transform the tourist guiding sector in South Africa. I say this because the hurdles and challenges which faced the portfolio committee, and many others who were involved in the drafting of this Bill, are emblematic of the problems which continue to beset the tourism industry in general.

This Bill assumes a greater significance if we consider that it is one of the first steps towards meaningfully transforming the entire tourism industry and ensuring that the vision and principles underlying the Bill inform the future transformation of the industry. It is fitting that the Tourism Amendment Bill should set a precedent in this transformative process.

The guiding sector is one of those sectors of the tourism industry in which one still finds a representation of less than 10% of persons from the disadvantaged sectors of our society. Tourist guides are, by and large, ambassadors for our country and we, therefore, have a responsibility to ensure that our guides are not only professional, but are capable of constructing and depicting our country as it should be. Guides are not simply the windows through which the local and overseas travellers see the country, but they also fashion visitors’ views and experiences of the country.

They are constantly involved in the process of constructing images of the host community’s culture, and the character of the country and its peoples. Hence, in the case of developing economies, this reconstructive function cannot be underestimated. While, in the past, this frontline function was heavily nuanced by the prevailing political ideology, in our newly democratised society, it has to be harnessed to a common national agenda - that of ensuring economic prosperity as well as positive promotion and imaging of the country.

The Tourism Amendment Bill seeks to lay the foundation for developing a socially, environmentally and culturally responsible tourist guiding sector

• a tourist guiding sector which will, in accordance with the tourism vision of our country, contribute to the development of an internationally competitive industry in South Africa.

This Bill provides for the devolution of all administrative functions related to the registration of tourist guides to the provinces and, at national level, it relocates the oversight role from Satour to the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism. This will ensure that our communities have access to tourist guiding as an economic activity, and that they are meaningfully involved in the tourism industry.

I understand that there has been a request that we shorten our speeches, so that members can get their flights. I do not think that that argument is very good, because we spend endless hours in the portfolio committees debating issues, and we want members to hear what we are doing in the portfolio committee. Therefore I would urge that the debate on environmental affairs and tourism be more favourably accommodated. I know that I am not the right person to make such a request, but it took place on Friday last year and we did not complete our speeches. It is taking place on Friday again this year and now we are told that we should cut short our speeches, which I think is very unfair. I think the people who are responsible for making sure that debates take place, should please make sure that they give us a Tuesday or a Wednesday, so that they understand the importance that we attach to this portfolio that they have given us. [Applause.]

Just before I resume my seat, I want to raise a question about the protection of tourists at our airports. I am very happy that I see Mr Matola here from the SA Tourism Board. We need to make sure that we maximise the protection of tourists at the airport. One’s clothes are almost ripped off by people who want one to get into their taxi without one even saying that one needs a taxi. Foreign travellers do not have the necessary support at the airports.

Regarding the immigration side, we have foreigners who wait there for long hours. If we are serious about tourism, we need to make sure that there is access and that people do not have to wait there for many hours to get just one person to stamp their passports. Yet, we have domestic travellers who live in South Africa and they have free access to the airports. I also want to say a word about the very expensive limousines that ferry people between Cape Town and the expensive hotels. They are ripping off tourists.

We need to be very vigilant about tour guides. We need to pass a message on to the travel agents. I hope the SA Tourism Board is taking note of that. We need to pass this information on to the travel agents so that they make a point that whomever they bring into South Africa does not get into any car or any vehicle if the tour guide does not have a badge. The badge must be there to identify the person so that one knows that this is a registered person.

Most of the people who are taking travellers from airports to destinations of tourism are not legal, and I think we need to put punitive measures in place. That is why people get mugged, because they get into the wrong cars and we have no control over those cars. So, we would like to see, in these weekend newspapers, a statement by the tourism board, addressing the protection of our tourists. We love our country. [Applause.]

The CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES: Order! Hon Jannie Momberg, the hon Mahlangu has made a request. I do not know whether she was referring it to me, but I am referring it back to you. That is a request that …

Mr J M MOMBERG: It will be on a Tuesday next year. [Applause.]

Mr M L DA CAMARA: Chairperson and hon members, although the DP usually takes a dim view of any form of Government interference in private industry, the success of our tourism industry depends on this particular intervention.

The DP takes pleasure in supporting this Bill. If properly implemented, it will go a long way in establishing a modern and competitive tourist industry. This Bill, after all is said and done, forms just one part of South Africa’s needed preparation for the expected influx of tourists which should result from the new emphasis on marketing and everyone’s recognition of tourism’s potential for economic development in South Africa. This, of course, provided that these efforts do not become diluted by political imperatives rather than economic ones.

Some concerns did preoccupy the committee during deliberations. Of particular concern was the effect of setting standards which would have prohibited guides with little education from participating in the industry, as the standards have not, as yet, been generated. It would have been regrettable if the new standards penalised potential unregistered guides in communities which would potentially offer unique tourist attractions. In the end, the department saw its way clear to make the appropriate amendments which deal with this issue, whilst still maintaining high standards.

It is precisely this aspect of attracting new and previously excluded communities from the benefits of the tourist industry that gives cause for excitement. These communities will be able to compete in a lucrative industry with a definite advantage, as they are in a position to develop their own niche markets. This allows them to claim a significant stake in the tourism industry.

The possibilities here are astounding. However, having said this, a note of caution needs to be struck. South Africa’s preparation for a bigger and better slice of the tourism market must extend beyond this Bill and beyond the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, if we are indeed to benefit from it. We need to ask ourselves: Is South Africa fully prepared for an increase in tourism? Important attention needs to be given to increasing our infrastructural capacity and the social services necessary to service tourists. Only then can we truly say we are ready for a tourist influx.

Our transport system is one case in point. This Bill’s positive contribution will not have the desired effect of growth if it is not matched by an equivalent improvement of our public transport system. This entails a reversal of the deteriorating transport infrastructure in South Africa. Issues of crime and the preparedness of the general population for the influx of tourists are vital. All the department’s efforts and all the portfolio committee’s work on this Bill will come to naught if we do not demonstrate to visitors that South Africa is a safe destination to visit.

In our preparations particular attention needs to be given to our environment and surroundings. This is particularly important as many tourists arrive to see the natural attractions of our countryside and in far-flung communities. It therefore becomes essential that proper planning and investment regarding our environment take place. Over and above the direct and potential negative impact that tourism may have on our fragile ecosystems, which necessitates proper capacity evaluation, consideration needs to be given to the probable increase in pollution that will stem from increased amounts of consumption.

Many towns and less developed areas in South Africa will not cope with the increase in refuse which will certainly result from the increased tourist consumption, to use one example. Urgent attention needs to be given to rapidly improving the capacity of communities to deal with issues such as these as part of their preparations to take advantage of new opportunities.

In order for the economy to truly benefit in the long term and in a sustainable way further preparations have to be undertaken to support the initiatives presented in this Bill and other amendments, including the reform of Satour. This picture in front of us is bright, but we need to maintain and sustain the momentum presented by this Bill; we need to prepare for a tourism boom. [Applause.]

Nkk L R MBUYAZI: Mphathisihlalo neNdlu ehloniphekile, i-IFP isishayela ihlombe lesi sichibiyelo sokuba abantu babhaliswe ezifundazweni njengabaphelezeli bezivakashi. Kuqala, kade lokhu kwenzeka le phezulu ezingeni likazwelonke, abantu phansi laphaya beshiyiwe. Ngakho-ke abantu bazokwazi ukubhalisela ukuba ngabaphelezeli bezivakashi ezindaweni abakuzona. Kodwa esikucelayo ukuba kumenyezelwe kahle ukuthi kubhaliswa kuphi nendawo ukuze abantu basuke baye kobhalisa lapho. Kudingeka bazi ukuthi kubhaliswa kuphi, ubani obhalisayo kanye nokuthi ubani abangaxhumana naye futhi.

Kukhona abantu abanolwazi olunzulu, esikhulume ngabo laphaya ekomidini ngenkathi silungisa lesi sichibiyelo, okungabantu abathile abanolwazi oludala nokho abakade bengebona abaphelezeli bezivakashi. Labo bantu-ke nabo kufuneka babuyiswe ngoba kuyadabukisa ukufica ibhasi liza lizongena endaweni linezivakashi. Uma selifika lelo bhasi, kutholakale ukuthi lihamba nomuntu nje ongayazi leyo ndawo. Nakhona lapha eKapa lokho kuyenzeka. Lapha kukhona abantu abangazi ngempela ukuthi kukuphi lapho kuhlangana khona izilwandle ezimbili. Umuntu uvele akhombe nje indawo ethile athi-ke yilaphayana kanti akazi ukuthi kukuphi ngempela. Labo bantu abazifunela amathuba bazophela-ke uma kubhaliswa, kuthi abantu babe ngabaphelezeli bezivakashi ngokusemthethweni, futhi babe nalelo bheji ebelishiwo usihlalo. Umuntu ongumphelezeli wangempela kufanele abantu abavakasha lapha bambone ngalelo bheji okufuneka lifakwe ukuze phela sibe sezingeni lomhlaba.

Isigaba 21A esilapha sikhuluma ngokuthi osebhalisile uzothola isitifiketi abuye athole naleli bheji. Laba bantu abathatha abantu babase ezindaweni, umuntu azokhuluma ngomfula wangakithi engawazi, kanti kukhona umkhulu wakuleyo ndawo ongakwazi ukubatshela ukuthi kule ndawo kwakwenzeka ukuthi nokuthi, kanye nokuthi kuleya ntaba kwenzeka ukuthi nokuthi kuyo. Kukhona abantu ebesibabiza ngo-Oom Dawie lapha ekomidini, kukhona nabanye abanjengo- Oom Piet abangakutshela mhlawumbe ngezindawo ezinjengoNcome ukuthi kwenzakalani kuzo, abangakutshela ngemifula ethize nangezindawo ezinjengoPhathe ukuthi kwenzakalani khona, nezinto ezithile abangakwazi ukuthi bakutshele ngazo.

Njengamanje siphumelelise amagama ezindawo esezizokwaziwa njengezindawo zomlando kumhlabuhlangene. Lezi zindawo zamagugu omlando kuzodingakala ukuthi abantu bakulezo ndawo kube yibona ababachazela kahle laba bantu abavakashe kuzo, okuyizindawo ezinjenge-Robben Island. E-Robben Island kuhle kube khona abantu abazi kahle ukuthi kule ndawo kwenzakala ini. Leyo ndawo enjalo izoba yindawo yamagugu omlando, ngakho uma kufika noma imuphi umfana ofundile noma intombi ethile ikuchazele ibe ingenayo leya nto ngaphakathi yokuthi kwenzakalani ngempela, nokuthi kuleya ndawo kwaba yibuphi ubuhlungu obaba khona kanye nokuthi lapha kwaba yibuphi, lokho akukuhle. Yilokho esikufunayo ukuthi kube nabantu abanolwazi olunzulu kodwa babhalise bese bazeka ukuze bazithathe kahle izivakashi zethu ezize kule ndawo.

Ngibale ukuthi kunezindawo esesiziphumelelisile ezingo-Robben Island, Sterkfontein, St Lucia Wetlands nemifula ethize nezintaba ezithize okudingeka ukuthi kube ngabantu bakithi abachazayo ukuthi kwenzakalani kulezo ndawo.

UNgqongqoshe ukhulumile lapha wathi kufanele kube ngumuntu onolwazi lwendawo ophelezela izivakashi. Lokho okushiwo nguSekela Ngqongqoshe sikushayela ihlombe njengoba ekushilo ukuthi makube ngumuntu oqeqeshekile futhi owaziyo lo msebenzi, futhi awenze kahle esethole nesitifiketi sakhe sokuthi uyawenza. [Kwaphela isikhathi.] [Ihlombe.] (Translation of Zulu speech follows.)

[Mrs L R MBUYAZI: Chairperson and honourable House, the IFP applauds the amendment made to the Bill which says that people should be registered as tour guides even at provincial level. All along this has been taking place only at national level. People at grass-roots level have been ignored. Now, people will be able to register as tour guides at the places in which they live. We want a clear announcement to be made so that people will know at exactly which places the registration process will take place. It is important for them to know the place where they will be registered. They should be given the names of those who will register them as well as the names of those they can contact if they have a problem.

There are experts whose names were mentioned when we were amending this Bill as a committee. These experts were not regarded as tour guides, although they had the in-depth knowledge required for this job. They should be brought into this field, because it is disappointing to see a bus full of visitors who are accompanied by somebody who does not know the history of the area they are visiting. This happens even here in Cape Town. There are people here who do not know where the two oceans meet. A tour guide just points anywhere, thinking that that is where the two oceans meet. Those chancers will disappear once the registration process has been started. Registered tour guides will accompany visitors legally. They will also wear the badge to which the chairperson was referring. A registered tour guide will be recognised by this badge, which should be worn to show that tourism in our country is at an international level.

Section 21A of this Bill stipulates that once a person has registered, he or she will be given a certificate and a badge. There are people who accompany visitors to places with which they are not familiar. Nevertheless, one finds that old people residing in those places can tell visitors the complete history of a place or a river at that place. This is true because they were born and brought up there. There are people in the committee, like the one we have been referring to as Oom Dawie. People like Oom Piet can tell a lot about places like Blood River and events that took place near this river. There are people who can tell stories about the Ophathe area, its history, and many other stories.

Up to now we have succeeded in suggesting the names of places which will be known as national historical sites. People who live in those places will tell the history of their places to visitors. I am talking about places like Robben Island. For instance, on Robben Island there should be tour guides who know the exact history of this island. Such a place will be a treasure of history. It is not good to learn about the history of a place from an educated boy or girl who does not have enough knowledge of the place, and who has no idea of the pain felt by people at that time. That is why we need people who have an in-depth knowledge of these places. Such persons should register so that they will be known. This will enable them to treat visitors with respect.

I have mentioned that there are places which we have identified as national historical sites. These include Robben Island, Sterkfontein, St Lucia Wetlands, as well as some mountains and rivers. It is from historical sites that we should get people who know the history of those places.

The hon the Minister mentioned in his speech that a tour guide should be someone who knows the area very well. We applaud the words of the Deputy Minister that it should be a knowledgeable and trained person who will perform the duty after he or she has received a certificate. [Time expired.] [Applause.]]

Mev M E OLCKERS: Mnr die Voorsitter, dit is vir die Nuwe NP aangenaam om hierdie wysigingswetsontwerp te steun. Die waarde van toerisme vir ‘n land is van groot belang, nie alleen weens die geld wat dit die land inbring nie, maar ook weens die werkskepping wat dit meebring. Daarom is dit belangrik dat toeriste se skakel met die land en met wat dit bied - sy kulture, sy geskiedenis, die kookkuns en die gewoontes van verskillende mense wat die tafereel of skildery of kunswerk wat die land uitbeeld - op ‘n eerlike en entoesiastiese wyse oorgedra word.

Die toergids is juis hierdie skakel tussen die toeris en die land, want dit is dikwels die eerste persoon met wie ‘n toeris in ‘n land kontak maak. Die entoesiasme en kennis van ‘n goeie toergids kan die toeris só beïnvloed dat hy of sy weer wil terugkom na die land, maar die skade wat vals of verkeerde inligting aan toeriste aan die beeld van die land kan doen, is onherstelbaar, want almal in dié land word dan so beoordeel.

Daarom is die toergids so ‘n belangrike bemarker van hierdie land, en om aan so ‘n standaard te voldoen, verwelkom die Nuwe NP hierdie verandering in die wet, ook omdat minder gesofistikeerde toergidse wat tans in die bedryf werk steeds sal kan voortgaan met hul werk, al is hulle akademies nie hoog gekwalifiseer nie. Hierdie wysigingswetsontwerp sal hulle steeds in staat stel om hul kennis met besoekers aan die land te deel. Daar sal dus geen diskriminasie wees nie. Daar was skreiende gevalle van uitbuiting wat onder die komitee se aandag gekom het. As sulke gevalle voortaan voorkom, sal teen die skuldiges opgetree kan word, en aandag sal ook in die toekoms nog gegee moet word aan toerleiers wat die land skade aandoen.

Die Nuwe NP verwelkom ook die erkenning en die outonomie wat ingevolge hierdie wysigingswetsontwerp aan die LUR’e van die verskillende provinsies verleen word, sodat die provinsies hul verskeidenheid aantreklikhede self en op hulle eie wyse kan bemark en hul gidse kan moniteer. Hierdie wysigingswetsontwerp sal dien om die bedryf te reguleer en die mense wat daarin werk meer status te gee, onder meer deur die onwettige toergidse vas te vat en te ontmasker.

Ek wil graag die voorsitter van die komitee, die agb lid Gwen Mahlangu, bedank vir die aangename en bekwame wyse waarop sy die komitee en hierdie wysigingswetsontwerp gehanteer het. Partykeer was haar geduld selfs frustrerend, maar ons bedank haar daarvoor en vir die deeglikheid waarmee sy haar werk doen. Ons is trots op haar. Ons steun graag die wysigingswetsontwerp. [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans speech follows.)

[Mrs M E OLCKERS: Mr Chairperson, it is a pleasure for the New NP to support this amending Bill. The value of tourism for a country is of great importance, not only for the money it earns the country, but also as a result of the job creation. It is therefore important that the link tourists have with the country and what it offers - its cultures, its history, its cuisine and the habits of different peoples, which portray the scenes or pictures or artwork of the country - is conveyed in an honest and enthusiastic manner.

The tour guide is precisely this link between the tourist and the country, because this person is often the first person with whom a tourist comes into contact in a country. The enthusiasm and knowledge of a good tourguide can influence a tourist in such a way that he or she wants to return to the country, but the damage which false or incorrect information which is given to tourists can do to the image of a country, is irreparable, because everyone in that country is then judged in that way.

It is for this reason that the tour guide is such an important marketer of this country, and to comply with such a standard, the New NP welcomes this change in the legislation, also because less sophisticated tour guides who are currently working in the industry will still be able to continue with their work, although they are not academically highly qualified. This amending Bill will still enable them to share their knowledge with visitors to the country. There will therefore be no discrimination. There were blatant instances of exploitation which came to the attention of the committee. If such instances occur in future, action can be taken against the offenders, and attention will also have to be given in future to tour leaders who harm the country.

The New NP also welcomes the recognition and the autonomy being granted to the MECs of the different provinces, in terms of this amending Bill, so that the provinces can market their different attractions themselves and in their own way, and can monitor their tour guides. This amending Bill will serve to regulate the industry and will give more status to the people who work in it, inter alia by clamping down on and exposing illegal tour guides.

I would like to thank the chairperson of the committee, the hon member Gwen Mahlangu, for the pleasant and competent manner in which she chaired the committee and dealt with this amending Bill. Sometimes her patience was even frustrating, but we thank her for that and for the thoroughness with which she does her work. We are proud of her. We gladly support this amending Bill.] [Applause.]

Mr S N SWART: Chairperson, the ACDP supports this Bill, which introduces a radically redesigned tourist guiding system for South Africa. The importance of the tourist guiding sector to the broader tourism industry cannot be overemphasised, as it is the first line of contact most visitors have with this country. We must bear in mind the crucial aspect as pointed out by the Centre for Applied Management Science, namely that we must guard against commercial ineptitude.

The performance of tour guides must be evaluated and controlled properly. It means further that tourists offended by commercial ineptitude will simply stay away and encourage others to stay away too, without the tourist industry even being aware of the reasons for lacklustre tourism figures. It is imperative, therefore, that guides should provide a professional service to visitors, professional in core and commitment, and professional in providing an objective understanding of all information relating to the place visited. As representatives of the country, they should welcome visitors and act in such a way as to bring credit to our country and promote it as a tourism destination. There are a large number of unregistered tour guides who need to be brought into the net, however.

The transitional provisions contained in the Bill include a period of grace to enable unregistered tour guides to come under the ambit of the Act. The ACDP calls on all unregistered guides to make use of these provisions to legitimise their activities. The issue of proper control and evaluation referred to earlier must, however, be adhered to for this Bill to succeed in achieving its aims. Unregistered guides who do not come forward should be brought to book and can easily be found at tourist hot spots.

In conclusion I wish to thank the hon Gwen Mahlangu - the previous speaker also thanked her - for the gracious manner with which she has chaired the committee at times when it was quite difficult to find a way forward. My thanks to her. The ACDP supports this Bill. [Applause.]

Dr C P MULDER: Mnr die Voorsitter, daar word ‘n geweldige hoë premie geplaas op toerisme in Suid-Afrika. Dit is een van die bedrywe wat in Suid- Afrika geoormerk is vir geweldige groot ontwikkeling. Die agb Adjunkpresident het verlede week by ‘n konferensie in Durban gesê dat die toerismebedryf waarskynlik die bedryf is wat die potensiaal het om die meeste werkgeleenthede in die land te skep. Daar bestaan dus geweldige potensiaal in die bedryf.

Ek dink ons moet ook kennis neem van die gevaar vir toerisme as dinge polities partykeer skeef gaan. Almal in die Huis dra kennis daarvan dat die onlangse ongelukkige gebeure in Zimbabwe ‘n geweldig negatiewe effek op hul toerismebedryf gehad het en tot geweldige kansellasies gelei het. Ons moet miskien altyd onthou dat ons ook in Suid-Afrika die toerismebedryf slegs kan uitbou solank ons politieke stabiliteit in die land kan handhaaf, wat in die toerismebedryf se belang is.

Dit is inderdaad so dat ‘n mens moet weet dat die toerismebedryf ‘n bedryf is wat op ‘n sekere manier gehanteer moet word. Om dit in gewone Afrikaans te stel, dit moenie sommer ‘n flentergatbesigheid wees nie. [Gelag.] Ons het ‘n onlangse voorbeeld in die koerante gesien van ‘n toergids hier in die Wes-Kaap wat ‘n klomp niksvermoedende toeriste in ‘n bus gelaai het, en R800 later vir hulle Kommetjie se vuurtoring gaan wys het en vir hulle vertel het dat dit Kaappunt was. Hulle het nie van beter geweet nie. Hierdie wysigingswetsontwerp sal daardie tipe onprofessionele gedrag op ‘n einde bring. Ons dink dit is baie noodsaaklik.

Ook die onderliggende gedagte dat gesag in ‘n sekere mate afgewentel word na die provinsies deurdat elke provinsie die reg sal hê om sy eie provinsiale registrateur van toergidse aan te wys, wat dit dan op provinsiale vlak sal hanteer, is ‘n positiewe ontwikkeling. Die VF sal baie graag die wysigingswetsontwerp steun. Lede van die Huis weet dat wanneer hulle as toeriste in die buiteland gaan toer het, dan het hulle van daardie land se toerismebedryf verwag om op ‘n professionele manier te werk te gaan en sake op die beste professionele manier te hanteer. Suid-Afrika moet met niks minder as dit tevrede wees nie en daarom is die wetgewing noodsaaklik. Ons steun dit baie graag. [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans speech follows.)

[Dr C P Mulder: Mr Chairperson, an extremely high premium is placed on tourism in South Africa. It is one of the industries in South Africa that has been earmarked for very great development. The hon the Deputy President said last week at a conference in Durban that the tourism industry is probably the industry which has the potential to create the most job opportunities in the country. Therefore enormous potential exists in the industry.

I think we also have to take cognisance of the danger to tourism if things sometimes go wrong on the political front. Everyone in the House knows that the recent unfortunate events in Zimbabwe had an extremely negative impact on their tourism industry and lead to numerous cancellations. We should perhaps always bear in mind that in South Africa, too, we can only develop the tourism industry as long as we can maintain political stability in the country, which is in the interest of the tourism industry.

It is a fact that one must know that the tourism industry is an industry which must be handled in a certain manner. To put it quite plainly, it must not just be another below par industry (flentergatbesigheid). [Laughter.] We recently saw an example in the newspapers of a tour guide here in the Western Cape who loaded a group of unsuspecting tourists onto a bus and after charging them R800 showed them the lighthouse at Kommetjie and told them that this was Cape Point. They did not know any better. This amending Bill will put a stop to that kind of unprofessional behaviour. We think it is very necessary.

Also the underlying idea that power can, to a certain extent, be devolved down to the provinces, in that every province will have the right to appoint its own provincial registrar of tour guides, who will then deal with this at the provincial level, is a positive development. The FF will very gladly support the amending Bill. Members of the House know that when they went abroad as tourists, they expected the tourism industry of those countries to operate in a professional manner and to handle matters in the most professional manner. South Africa must be satisfied with nothing less than that and that is why the legislation is necessary. We gladly support it. [Applause.]] Mr I S MFUNDISI: Mr Chairperson, hon members, legislation, like all institutions, has to be kept alive by constantly revisiting it to make sure that it addresses the needs of the people at the present time.

The principal Act on tourism was promulgated before the democratisation of South Africa. As such, it had limitations. It has become necessary to refine it in order to accommodate the present political dispensation and thus enable provinces to have their word heard in this instance.

In keeping with the other professions, it is necessary that a code of conduct and ethics be introduced, so that the conduct of those involved in tourism - such as our tour guides - will be above board. They should know how to treat their clients, and they should treat them in such a manner that they find time to come to South Africa again. Provincial administrations are, through this amendment, being enabled to have their registrars who will be charged with seeing to the keeping and maintenance of a register of tour guides in the respective provinces. This is also in line with ensuring that no work is centralised at head office with the national department. The departments down there, where all these things take place, will also have something to do. This exercise will ensure that eight other managerial jobs are created, and concomitant with this would be the enhancement of service conditions for the other people who will serve as secretaries to these people.

We are aware, however, that there will be no additional posts to the establishments. But the argument is that whoever will be serving as provincial registrar, will be holding a position of responsibility in one way or another. This progressive piece of legislation seeks to be proactive, as it lays down what routes to follow in the event of a complaint being laid. The national registrar will hear appeals against certain decisions meted out by the provincial registrars which may not have gone well for the tour guides.

It is on this note that the UCDP fully supports this amendment, and goes on to say that we are very grateful for the chairpersonship of a person like Gwen Mahlangu. As they say ga go na yo o tshwanang le ena [there is no one like her]. [Time expired.]

Ngaka M S MOGOBA: Modulasetulo le Lekgotla le le hlomphegago, boeti le pabalelo ya tlhago ke mokokotlo wa boiphidišo bja rena. Botse bja naga ya rena ke gauta yeo e lego ka godimo ga lefase. Ge gauta yeo re e epago e fedile, yona e tla no šala e le gona, e bonagala neng le neng.

Lekgotla la Maafrika leo ke le emetšego, le thekga Molaotšhišinyo wo, ka baka la gore melao yeo e šišinywago ya go leka go laola boeti bjokhwi e tlo thuša gore bo bolokege, bo se ke bja phatlalala.

Batala ba gešo bare Ngwana yo a sa llego o hwela tharing. Lehono ke nyaka go llela batho bao ba dulago metseng ya gabo rena ya kgale, bao re sa bolelego ka bona lehono, ka ge re ba lebetše. Nna ke tswaletšwe lefelong leo e ka bago iri le seripa go ya Kruger National Park. Bjale ke be ke šetše ke le mokgalabje ge ke e ya Kruger National Park la mathomo. Bjale ke nyaka gore ke re hle boeti a bo tle magaeng, bo tle mo batho ba gaborena ba lego gona. [Legofsi.]

Metse ya gaborena ga re e hlokomele. Ge baeti ba goroga, ba hwetša gore metse ya gaborena ye metala, ga e na le maina le mo dipukung tša rena tšeo di laetšago ditsela. Le ge motho a feta go yona ga go le sešupo goba se sengwe seo se bontšhago gore motse wo mogologolo wokhwi leina la wona ke lefe. Motho o no feta fela. Go ra gore ga se motse, ga go batho, ga se selo. Taba yekhwi e nyaka gore e hlokomelwe gore ge re sepetša baeti ba rena, re ba bontšhe mo batho ba gaborena ba lego gona. [Nako e fedile.] [Legofsi.] (Translation of Sepedi speech follows.)

[Dr M S MOGOBA: Mr Chairperson, hon members, tourism and environmental conservation are the backbone of our economy. The fantastic sceneries of our country are matched only by the gold that is dug up from below its surface. However, when gold mines finally become exhausted, those beautiful sceneries will remain forever, and will continue to attract tourists.

The PAC supports this Bill because the proposed legislation is aimed at regulating tourism and ensuring that the industry is conserved.

Our ancestors used to say ``Ngwana yo a sa llego o hwela tharing.’’ (A child that does not cry will suffer and die in silence). To that end, I want to raise a complaint on behalf of people who are staying in places that are off the beaten track.

I was born about an hour’s travel from the Kruger National Park. However, I was already grey by the time I first visited that place. I would like to appeal to the Government to help develop tourism in our rural villages, because that is where most of our population is concentrated. [Applause.]

We seem to be suffering from a culture of treating our villages with indifference. When foreign tourists arrive on our shores they are quick to discover that most of our old rural villages are not registered in any of the books. When one is driving in and around those villages, one is struck by the absence of signposts. So, one has a feeling that one is passing through places where there are no villages, no people and nothing whatsoever. When we guide foreign tourists around our country, we need to show them the places where most of our people live. [Time expired.] [Applause.]]

Miss S RAJBALLY: Mr Chairperson, hon Minister, hon members, internationally, tourism is the world’s fastest growing industry. South Africa has evolved into an attractive tourist destination, bursting with promise and potential. On a global level, South Africa is positioned in the tourism industry as a world-class contender.

The Tourism Amendment Bill has initiated a redesigned tourist guiding system, based on the provisions for an accountable, impartial, transparent and community-orientated approach. The objective is to achieve the highest professional standard whilst promoting national competitiveness in the tourism industry.

Education and training, labour, gender, human rights and environmental management receive prominence in the Bill, which collectively promotes and develops the tourist guiding sector. The Bill also makes accommodation for disciplinary measures and mandatory procedures in order to maintain a sound and productive economic relationship between the national registrar and the provincial registrar.

The MF supports the Tourism Amendment Bill, and, at this point in time, I want to compliment Comrade G Mahlangu for the manner in which she presented her speech. [Applause.]

The DEPUTY MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AND TOURISM: Chairperson, I think we are all agreed that this is a very good Bill which is long overdue, and which is going to set very high standards in our tourism industry. It is also important to acknowledge that local knowledge will enhance the tourists’ experience, and will make tourism everyone’s business.

The provincial implementation of the Bill is also very important, as it has to ensure that all potential guides get easy access to applications. This is a vital point. At the moment, we still have a small hitch in that two provinces have not yet undertaken to implement the Bill. I do not know why that is so. I am sorry that those two provinces are the Western Cape and the Eastern Cape, and they should be urged to do so.

I would really like to thank the portfolio committee members for their tireless work. They have been working very hard under the chairpersonship of Comrade Gwen Mahlangu. I know very well that committee members never sleep when they are in her boat. She always steers this boat to safety. I really want to commend the quality of the work they are doing as a portfolio committee. It is so good, and it shows the commitment that we have to building this country, South Africa. They should keep up this good spirit, and continue with the building of our country. They have really brought change to South Africa. [Applause.]

Debate concluded.

Bill read a second time.

The House adjourned at 12:20. ____

            ANNOUNCEMENTS, TABLINGS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces:

1. The Speaker and the Chairperson:

 (1)    The following Bill was introduced in the National Assembly on 19
     May 2000 and referred to the Joint Tagging Mechanism (JTM) for
     classification in terms of Joint Rule 160:


     (i)     Firearms Control Bill [B 34 - 2000] (National Assembly -
          sec 75) - (Portfolio Committee on Safety and Security -
          National Assembly) [Explanatory summary of Bill and prior
          notice of its introduction published in Government Gazette No
          21193 of 19 May 2000.]