The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment's spokesperson, Albi Modise, says Minister Barbara Creecy condemns this brutal killing of a tourist, who was shot while travelling to a community-owned safari lodge in the Kruger National Park via Numbi in Mpumalanga.

“Minister Creecy noted the attack of the tourist and appealed to the police in Mpumalanga to work tirelessly to bring the perpetrators of this particularly heinous crime to book. Minister Creecy also added that the murder of a tourist will further undermine the programme to put tourism and job creation back on track, as we claw our way back after a very difficult Covid period”.

Modise mentioned in a media statement that “The killing of a foreign tourist to South Africa is detrimental to the country’s attempts to recover from the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. The safari lodge, which opened its doors to the public shortly before the international travel ban to stem the spread of the pandemic, employs 200 local community members comprising 95% of the staff complement. These men and women are also part of a skills development programme”.

OFM News previously reported that the Tourism Business Council of South Africa's CEO, Tshfhiwa Tshivhengwa, said violence against tourists should be considered an economic crime. The South African tourism sector has been reacting to the death of a German tourist, who was shot and killed near White River in Mpumalanga on Monday afternoon. 

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The tourist was one of four travellers making their way to the Kruger National Park when they were attacked in an attempted hijacking.

OFM News/Mpho Mohapi