One of the situations that had (and still has) the biggest impact on tourists in the area, was the corrupt traffic officials who were conning uninformed tourists out of money. Thanks to the tourist warning cards instituted by the Hazyview Chamber of Business and Tourism (HCBT) and Kruger Lowveld Tourism, this problem seems to be on the decline.
Tourists are warned that it is illegal to pay cash to a traffic officer or any other official on the roadside, and that legitimate fines should be paid only at a police station or magistrate’s court and a receipt issued and road tolls paid only at official toll plazas. Tourists are also advised to present the card to the officer who stops them or to contact one of the numbers on the card if they have any problems or doubts.
The HCBT also appointed the region’s first liaison officer, Elvis Ngomane, who is based at the Hazyview Police Station and assists tourists with any crime-related problems.
The warning cards have been distributed to HCBT and Kruger Lowveld Tourism member networks in Hazyview, Graskop, Sabie, Hoedspruit, the Timbavati and Sabi Sands and establishments in these areas are encouraged to keep distributing these until the end of December. They can be collected from Elvis Ngomane at the Hazyview Police Station or Etienne Soiné at Umbhaba Lodge.
Chris Harvie, media liaison for the HCBT says this initiative has already borne fruit, with officers constantly being caught out by card-carrying tourists. Harvie says cases of corruption have dropped from 10 a week to about three in the last month. “It seems as if this awareness campaign has stopped the traffic officers from asking money, and instead become more aggressive in hoping that tourists will offer them money to resolve the problem,” he commented. Tourists and establishments can report cases of corruption to Harvie at cbharvie@gmail.com
Harvie also remarked that the anti-corruption initiative was being taken up by communities across SA, which had pleased the HCBT.
Thanks to various meetings with police officials and a good relationship with the Sabie Valley Neighbourhoud Security (SVNS) crime seems to be relatively under control and no major incidents have been reported. Harvie says many establishments and residents are now part of the SVNS radio network and the prompt response has worked wonders with regard to thwarting crimes.
A recent spate of ATM scams, where tourists were conned, has also been investigated and addressed by the HCBT. They encourage residents and people in the hospitality industry to inform their guests on how ATMs work and safety.
The HCBT is currently working on getting the municipality to address the problem of the various illegal structures in Hazyview and even alongside the R40. It will, however, be necessary to give these vendors a new place to sell their goods and a permanent market structure will be the ideal solution.
Despite all these measures, many residents and tourists are still unhappy about the state of the town and the area. Residents are urged to get involved with the Hazyview Ratepayers Association or the HCBT, and to attend the various stakeholders meetings with the municipality to lend their voices to the various projects and initiatives.
