Chairperson, hon Minister, Chief Whip, MECs from different provinces, NCOP members, chairpersons of the standing committees, special delegates, I greet all members in the name of democracy.
Tourism is a vital component of the North West province's economy, earning an estimated income of R1,1 billion from 112 000 international tourists and 1 211 000 trips by local tourists as per the latest research undertaken by Satour in 1995.
If these figures were correct, it would translate into approximately 10 120 direct jobs being created then. This is not visible due to the fact that there is massive unemployment in our province. We are aware that statistics are very poor in this field, a matter that is currently being vigorously pursued by the national department. The department is also hoping to pursue its own research programmes but is thwarted by the absence of resources to undertake such exercises. It is estimated that tourism employs about 4% of the workforce nationally, and has enormous potential to create opportunities for the SMME sector, especially for the previously disadvantaged communities.
The North West province is ranked very low in terms of the tourism receipts in the country due the existing state of underdeveloped tourism attractions and facilities. It has the potential to become very competitive within the SADC region. To achieve this, the department of economic development and tourism is working hard to implement the recently adopted North West province tourism development strategy which was initiated by the MEC for economic development and tourism, Mrs Edna Molewa, in conjunction with the North West Parks and Tourism Board.
The key issues in this regard are aimed at job creation and empowerment of the previously disenfranchised majority tourism and economic policy implications for the province, investment towards tourism development, and market and information analyses which should inform such developments. Promoting tourism amongst the indigenous people in South Africa and in the province is done in various ways. This, of course, also conforms to the imperatives of the national White Paper on the Development and Promotion of Tourism. It is also embodied in the North West policy document that this industry will be government-led, private sector-driven and community-based. A number of initiatives are currently being undertaken to ensure that the previously disadvantaged will be acculturalised in this industry in the not so distant future. This applies to their being hosts and entrepreneurs.
The North West also aligns itself with the current national Welcome Campaign 2000, which is being spearheaded by the national department to create an understanding amongst all South Africans of the importance of tourism, encourage all South Africans to get involved in the industry, encourage all South Africans to help and respect tourists and to encourage all South Africans to respect the physical and social environment of the country.
The department has established an SMME desk, whose primary task is to assist our people to have a meaningful and rewarding involvement in this industry. The department, together with its agency, the North West Parks and Tourism Board, is looking at creating about 6 400 jobs in the next two years, if circumstances permit. This, of course, will depend on various factors such our access to the Poverty Relief Fund and the extent of investment that will take place in the province.
A lot of effort is currently being expended to ensure that the province will benefit adequately from the exposure that it will be getting through professional marketing exercises including the Satour/private sector partnership marketing strategy currently being implemented. However, the province is also embarking on the process of establishing the Invest North West institution whose mandate will be to cover both the tourism and industrial investments and promotion.
As regards the water management programme, the North West province subscribes to the principle that ``cleanliness is next to godliness''. It also recognises some of the opportunities available for job creation through waste management programmes. It should also be realised that whilst this industry thrives on the environment in its various forms of presentation, environmental management is a key factor for purposes of preventing outbreaks of disease which can impact negatively on tourism receipts once it hits the media. It is also for these reasons that the North West supports the stance taken by the national Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism to outlaw some forms of plastic products that litter our environment. Needless to say, it is very important to create the necessary awareness amongst the rest of the South African population to be environmentally conscious. It is known that some countries such as Germany does not encourage their citizens to travel to those countries which do not take care of their environment, and the North West cannot afford such adverse publicity.
The standing committee in the North West is particularly concerned about medical waste management which is a medicolegal hazard in our province. We wish this to be given serious consideration.
Tourism is a complex and cross-cutting sector which impacts on most other economic sectors at different spatial levels and also affects various sectors of society. Thus, in institutional terms, sustainable tourism development requires a complete understanding of the range of functions necessary across all spheres of government for the successful management of the tourism system. The national institutional framework for the management of the tourism system on a financial basis also requires a lot of resources, both human and financial. It is said that tourism as an economic activity is most successful if managed by a partnership. We should also recognise that the national tourism industry is underpinned by both the provinces and local authorities, which are the pinnacles of the tourism industry in terms of facilities and geographical attributes. This implies automatically that integrated management, where resources are pooled together and plans integrated matters. This cannot for any reason be underestimated. Once it is accepted that the national structures hold the reins in terms of national policy guidelines and the allocation of resources, it is also imperative that this must be done in consultation with the grass-roots authorities where things are happening. This will prevent parallel and ad hoc developments that are brought about by poor consultation amongst the three spheres of government.
It is for these reasons and others that there was a need to establish cluster working groups, for the purpose of co-ordinating plans towards maximising resource utilisation. This is strongly encouraged by the North West Province government.
In conclusion, I wish to congratulate the Minister on his environmental campaign which is aimed at improving the lives of our people, and request the Minister to continue as a revolutionary cadre to fight the environmental cleanliness campaign to the advantage of the disadvantaged. Therefore, the North West Province wishes to see and receive financial support from the Minister to promote tourism in our province. [Time expired.]