Minister Sisulu saddened by news of murder of a German tourist

4 September 2022

Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu is saddened by the news ofthe fatal shooting of a German tourist in Mpumalanga on Monday 3 October 2022. The tourist was part of a group of travellers making their way to one of the country's top tourism attractions in the province.

"I would like to convey my heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the tourist who was killed in this incident. I also call on law enforcement agencies to leave no stone unturned in bringing to book the perpetrators of this heinous crime."

Our country receives a large number of tourists from all over the globe, including Germany and the high number of foreign tourists who continue to visit our country. This high number of tourists is one of the ways in which our tourism sector has been able to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

I will engage my Cabinet colleagues in the Security Cluster to discuss plans to ensure the safety of tourists who visit our country.

"I condemn this murder and robbery in the strongest terms and call for harsh punishment of those responsible," Sisulu said.

"Tourism is one of our economic drivers and a provider of jobs for the youth. We must work hard to protect this industry," the Minister said.

"This in turn has a negative impact on the socio-economic benefits ofthe sector, particularly tourism 's contribution to gross domestic product, job creation and ultimately poverty alleviation," she said.

This happens as "the South African tourism sector is poised for a tremendous bounce back and positive growth after the first half of the year (2022) show a staggering increase in arrivals .

"This crime will not deter us. We will continue to intensify targeted communication on our digital platforms to sell South Africa as a destination of choice, inviting the world to come and "Live Again" with us," she concluded.

Issued by Ministry of Tourism, 4 September 2022