Thread by @brits_gideon

Minister @mmKubayiNgubane @Tourism_gov_za

Several allegations have been made that the Covid regulations are #irrational and therefore #illegal.

Please join me as we investigate your media statement from yesterday regarding level 3 regulations.

For your convenience honourable minister I add a link to your statement from government's website.

gov.za/speeches/minis…

"This is because the last two months of lockdown gave us room to build up an extensive public health response and prepare our health system for a possible increased infection rate."

As you may not be aware honourable minister I would like to point out that the above does not comply with the definition of 'disaster' as defined by the DMA.

If you, in your personal capacity, would like to contribute to bring this to the attention of the court you can do so here 👇

backabuddy.co.za/champion/proje…

"We continued to see many businesses in the sector fighting for survival and our projections showed that almost 600 000 jobs were at risk if the sector doesn’t come into operation by September 2020."

Can the minister please indicate on which basis the above statement is made?

September is another 3 months away. Common sense tell us that most of these jobs will be annihilated by then. Not merely 'at risk'.

"When the risk-adjusted approach was introduced tourism was placed at alert level 2 and largely at level 1"

Allegations are made that these regulations are not thought through and merely knee-jerk reactions.

Would the minister kindly explain the above statement?

"To ensure that SMMEs in the tourism sector survive the crisis we put together he tourism relief fund."

Would that be the measly R 200 mil you are referring to? R 50k is a lot for an individual but surely the minister can grasp that for a SMME with several employees that needs to be paid for several months this is but a drop in a bottomless bucket?

Let's do a simple sum.

Tourism is around R 130 billion a year. That is R 10.8 billion a month.

R 200 mil will 'ensure survival'?

"Restaurants for delivery or collection of food."

Can the minister kindly explain how restuarants, which are subject to health codes which provide for hygiene and cleanliness, are closed whilst churches are open subject to social distancing etc.

"Professional services - e.g. tourist guides, tour operators, travel agents, tourism information officers are allowed to come back to operations."

Given the other regulations can the minister kindly explain what they must do? How are they to generate income?

"Accommodation activities are allowed, except for leisure"

Is the minister aware that the above excludes the bulk of tourism and that business travel only forms a small segment of tourism?

"Hunting and Gaming activities are also allowed"

Can the minister kindly explain the accommodation regulations in the above or is it only for self drive day trips?

"Car Rentals are a critical enabler of tourism and movement of people and we are encouraged by them coming to full operations."

Can the minister please give a breakdown between business and leisure tourism?

Kindly also explain how a business traveler poses less risk than a leisure traveller subject to the same health protocols.

"We also welcome the fact that those approved to travel are allowed to use long-distance public transport"

Long distance taxi's for business travel minister?

Is that the 'immense benefit" you are referring to?

"The hunting industry contributes an estimated R2 billion (direct spending) annually to the tourism sector"

Given international travel is earmarked for next year. Can the minister elucidate as to what part of the R 2 Billion is local vs international.

I want to see something.

"We are doing all in our power to cushion the sector and mitigate against any potential job losses."

Is the minister referring to the R 200 mil drop in the bucket here?

"I have tasked the SAT CEO with driving the process of developing a draft tourism recovery plan for South Africa."

I'll just leave this one here and only state that I am a free market capitalist and believes that governent should not, and in general cannot, even run a spaza shop

"Based on the Covid-19 epidemic expected trajectory, the first phase of the recovery for the sector will be driven by domestic tourism, followed by regional tourism and international tourism next year."

Given that the corona has already spread to all provinces and that internal provincial travel is allowed, with restrictions.

Also provincial borders are not drawn along 'pandemic response' lines.

Kindly explain how limitations in inter provincial travel is rational.

As the next step will be regional travel and then international travel kindly explain how an international travel poses more risk than a regional travel given the same health protocols.

I thank you for your anticipated response in this honourable minister.

🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦

I am also awaiting a response to my formal request for reasons directed to the President, the min. of Health and the min. Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.

If you could kindly remind them of the urgency it would be appreciated.

Thank you 🇿🇦🙏

Honourable minister,

It would also be appreciated if you could bring my campaign in the interest of #ruleoflaw to the attention of fellow MP's.

It is a general appeal to all South Africans.

Thank you.

Gideon Brits
(a fellow South African)

backabuddy.co.za/champion/proje…