Local tourism groups call on Gigaba to scrap unabridged birth certificates rule

TRAVEL agents want Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba to abolish the rule which requires local travellers to carry unabridged birth certificates for minor children – and at the very least clarify his announcement this week.

SA Travel Agents chief executive Otto de Vries yesterday said Gigaba’s announcement was vastly different to what industry experts had proposed during the consultation phase.

“We were hopeful and supportive of the process and hoped for a meaningful outcome, but now it seems we haven’t progressed at all,” said De Vries.

Gigaba said parents travelling to South Africa with minors would not be required to produce unabridged birth certificates, but strongly advised them to carry full documentation.

He said documentation would be required in exceptional circumstances only. This would mean that Home Affairs officials would use their discretion to request documents from tourists. But parents of South African minors travelling abroad are still expected to carry unabridged birth certificates.

“Are we saying that child trafficking is unique to South African passport holders?

“The requirement must be abolished outright,” said De Vries.

Meanwhile, spokesperson for the Salvation Army’s Division for Anti-human Trafficking Carin Homes, said the organisation is outraged that Home Affairs buckled under pressure and lifted some of the restrictions.

“It was a good system. We have numerous cases of child trafficking which were foiled since the introduction of the travel regulations in 2015.

“It is important for parents to produce unabridged birth certificates to prove that indeed the child is theirs.”

De Vries said the requirements would also cause a logistical dilemma for airlines.

“Foreign airlines would need to continue to monitor each traveller to identify South Africans and only apply the stringent regulations to them.”

Yesterday Airports Company SA requested further clarity from Home Affairs. De Vries said the industry could not celebrate yet as there were many issues which need to be ironed out before travel agents can start contributing meaningfully to the economy again. He said expatriates were frustrated by the regulations.

Southern Africa Tourism Services Association chief executive David Frost described the regulations as “a draconian and heavy-handed policy”.