Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba and his Tourism counterpart Derek Hanekom have announced plans to simplify the travelling for minors into the country. The two Ministers met for the first time since their return to their respective portfolios.
New requirements for travelling with children were introduced in 2015. The tourism sector, including Minister Derek Hanekom, complained that they were having an effect on tourist numbers visiting the country.
Minors require an unabridged birth certificate and a consent letter from a parent who is not travelling with the child before entering the country. These regulations were said to be in response to curbing child trafficking.
Now a task team has been set up to streamline the process without compromising safety of children. “We are trying to find the best possible solution that takes the burden off the parents of minor children whether travelling with the parent or alone without making it easy for criminal syndicates to pounce on the children,” says Gigaba.
Hanekom says; ” Perhaps communication with airlines is inadequate and off course the regulations themselves have to be changed. They will be changed and in terms of timelines let me say to make it safe, it will be weeks rather than months.”
