The HCBT has been struggling to route out corruption for about a year, as this has increasingly proved to be a big tourist deterrent.
Many tourists have been fined for transgressions (some which domestic travellers would know to dispute) like not stopping at an out-of-order traffic light. They are then told to pay spot fines or more recently even shown a price list for fines. Officers reportedly tell them they can pay a smaller cash amount to the officer instead of going through the inconvenience of going to the “nearest” police station to pay the fine. The implication is then that the police station is not close by or easily accessible.
The HCBT’s first step was to involve various establishments and organisations and get them to hand out specially made warning cards to tourists. On the cards, tourists were cautioned not to pay cash to any officials and to contact their nearest establishment or local police office on the number provided.
Cards are currently being handed out by various hotels, lodges and guest houses in the area, as well as in the Hoedspruit region. They will soon also be handed out at toll plazas in the region.
As their project grew, so did the number of horror stories from tourists. Many were caught and fine for transgressions they had no knowledge about and recently were even shown a price list for fines. According to Chris Harvie of the HCBT they have over a hundred of these corruption cases in their dossier.
Motorists and tourists are cautioned that traffic officers may be more aggressive due to the campaign’s reach and pressure from various establishments and authorities.
The HCBT also had a very successful meeting with care hire and tourism forums and chambers. They are also working on a way make paying legitimate fines easier for tourists.
Tourists can contact the HCBT’s liaison officer, Elvis Ngomane on 073-741-3553 for help or to report the case. Send an email to Harvie on cbharvie@gmail.com to find out where you can obtain warning cards or how to join the HCBT.
