LENGTHY queues at
OR Tambo Airport in
Johannesburg continue
to delay international and
domestic travellers by
hours, with the result that
some visitors are missing
connecting flights. Satsa ceo,
David Frost, has called for
urgent intervention.
All international
passengers arriving in South
Africa at OR Tambo Airport
need to submit biometric
data, Department of Home
Affairs Spokesperson,
Mayihlome Tshwete, has
confirmed. He added that it
was also being implemented
at Cape Town International
Airport and King Shaka
International Airport.
According to Mayihlome,
taking biometrics at the
airport meant that people
requiring visas no longer had
to apply in person and that
international visitors who did
not need visas also had to
submit biometric data at the
airport to improve security.
However, David suggests
that, until Home Affairs has
employed more immigration
officials, biometrics should
only be taken from visarequiring
tourists who had
not applied for their visa
in person. “Home Affairs
does not have the capacity
to take biometrics from all
international arrivals and
long delays are hurting
our brand as a tourism
destination.”
Last month, Mayihlome
told TNW that the DHA would
not be employing more staff
due to cost-containment
measures (see TNW
September 21).
Meanwhile, South African
travel agents report that
numerous clients have
missed connecting flights
and transfers. “An FCM
client waited for over an
hour yesterday and we had
to extend his transfer pickup
time because of it,” says
Michelle Jolley, Corporate
Traveller Marketing Manager.
Club Travel md, Wally
Gaynor, recently had what
he calls a “most horrific
experience” when leaving
OR Tambo this week. “It took
about 45 minutes to get
through security,” he says,
adding that once his hand
luggage had been checked,
there was nowhere to move
forward any more.
Wally says numerous
immigration counters were
unoccupied, with only
two counters handling
biometrics. “When I was
seven people away from the
counter, the immigration
official said his system was
frozen and he literally just
left. I thought a riot was
going to break out as the
people tried to merge into
other queues.”
When Wally eventually
got to the counter, the
immigration official told him
he had been there since
5am and that he had had
enough. “He said: ‘They will
sack me if they see I don’t
do the biometrics but I don’t
care.’ And he proceeded to
stamp my passport without
checking it.”
According to David, in
recognition of the tourism
industry’s contribution to the
economy, the delays at OR
Tambo must be dealt with at
an inter-ministerial level as a
matter of urgency. Additional
immigration staff must be
hired and trained ahead of
the coming high season, he
says.
“The galling thing is that
this is the same department
that has wrought legislation
that has severely impacted
our sector… and now they
can’t even do their day jobs
properly,” he says. “I urge
Minister Hanekom to take
this matter up urgently with
the Deputy President.”
