Hon Chairperson, let me also borrow the words from the English man who once said, " ... protocol observed". Minister, the tourism industry which your department oversees offers a lot of potential for economic development and job creation, but like much of the economy the tourism industry remains in the hands of the white minority. If the industry was properly managed and your department took the necessary steps, then the true economic potential of this industry could easily be realised and built on.
We have consistently argued in this Parliament year after year, that if we want to fundamentally transform the tourism industry and unlock its true potential, we must also deal with the question of land ownership. Tourists come from all corners of the world to see and experience our wildlife, our oceans, our mountains and our diverse and rare plant species in the Karoo and in the Cape. But, who owns the land with all those flowers in Namaqualand? And how is that of benefit to the majority of the unemployed and the landless in Namaqualand?
Who owns the wine farms which tourist visit? And how is this of benefit to the people of the farmworkers of the winelands? Who owns the private game reserves in Mpumalanga and Limpopo? How are these of any benefit to the people in the surrounding areas? The reality is that the land on which these flowers are grown, the land on which hotels and bed and breakfast, B&Bs, are built and the land on which private game reserves are located are still owned by a small white minority. It is the same white minority who have asserted their control over the economy and country for over 350 years.
These white owners are doing nothing to empower our people black people in the tourist industry. Our black people are underpaid, overworked, deprived of benefits, casualised and just like in the rest of the economy are viewed as nothing more than expendable cheap labour. In the restaurants of Cape Town you here of workers forced to work seven days a week, below minimum wage and without contracts. In the coastal cities and private game reserves our people are exploited by white bosses who can fire them at any point.
The tourist industry does little for black people in this country expect to entrench their exploitation. So, Minister, why is your department doing nothing? Why do we find no substantive solutions in your department's annual performance plan and Budget Votes? However, the exploitation of our people is not the only area that needs to be transformed when we talk about the tourism sector. We desperately need to expand our tourist routes, and raise the profile and importance of cultural heritage tourism in this country.
This department has done little to promote heritage routes and sites in the former homelands which are rich in natural beauty, but are also steeped in history. Why is your department doing so little to improve and elevate heritage routes in the Eastern Cape, for instance, that would show the history of resistance in that province for over a period of 100 years. The Afrikaners built their Voortrekker Monument after they trekked across the country and dispossessed our people of their land.
Why are we not doing the same and promoting and celebrating our unique culture and heritage? Why is there no monument at the gravesite of Maqoma, one of the greatest African leaders who resisted colonialism? Why is there no worthy tourist attraction at the location where the battle of Isandlwana took place? These sites and their history must be promoted and our people must be at the forefront of this development of black people, particularly women must own their B&Bs, they must own the restaurants, they must own the tourist centres and shops and the department must support them.
Tourists both locally and internationally must visit these sites and areas and learn of our storied past. This will pump money into local economies creating jobs and economic growth. Your department must start and support such initiatives. When we talk about support we mean subsidies, loans, access to land, licences and advertising both locally and internationally. From top to bottom the entire tourism industry and value chain must be transformed and reimagined. Our people must be active participants and the primary beneficiaries, not simply exploited employees. We cannot continue to have a tourism which only adds value to the lives of the South Africans.
In the past this department has done nothing to transform the tourism industry. We hope that you will do more in this regard, but until this commitment is reflected in performance plans and budgets, we will reject this Budget Vote. Thank you. [Applause.]
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