Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane – 0 | Tourism Industry – 0
The Minister of Tourism, Republic of South Africa, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane and Sisa Ntshona, CEO SA Tourism hosted a webinar today on the State of Tourism in South Africa.
The webinar, scheduled for 12:30 started at 3:00 pm.
Most of the participants were looking to have their Burning Questions around BEE and the Relief fund answered.
Instead of the session being more of a Q&A session the Minister delivered a lecture on measures around COVID-19, Social Distancing and her various high level meetings dealing with the pandemic.
The tone from the participants was not very positive and most spent their time criticising the Minister’s background image which was one of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Later the Minister got rid of the background saying that the addition of the Zoom Generated background was making her head; “look strange”.
The Minister’s ‘gorgeous’ nails were also remarked upon.
In terms of newsworthy items to report there were no earth shattering ones at all.
The general message was that we could see some form of revival of the tourism industry beginning late September and the beginning of December 2020 being earmarked as the date that most local and provinicial tourism would be possible.
Resumption of international tourism could start occurring this time next year.
The Government and SA Tourism could not commit in terms of concrete planes to support and market the tourism industry in the lead up to the complete global lifting of lockdown.
No money has yet been paid out from the Tourism Relief Fund – Government is waiting for judgement from yesterday’s court case to be delivered which could be on Friday or next week. Government was challenged over plans to only provide relief to BBBEE registered business by Afriforum, Solidarity and the DA.
In closing her monologue the Minister recommended that we work together and hold hands – one presumes that she meant that in a virtual sense, though.
Most disappointing to me was the remark from the Minister saying; “When we come back from the Lockdown then we will be able to do the marketing!”
Over 700 questions were submitted during the chat and not one specific one was answered.
The questions that I posed included:
- If the BEE requirement is overturned have you given any thought to combating residual prejudice by officials against non BEE companies applying for relief?
- Pretend that I am an employee in a NON BEE company that was turned down for relief. NOW tell me why I and my family must go hungry?
- Tourism relies on freedom of movement so it is basically dead. Do you have a simple three point plan around which you will drive the recovery of the tourism sector?
- Minister, you say that we are going to support the country. With respect you need to clarify and define exactly what you mean by ‘the country’.
- With the Rand under pressure now is the time that we need to attract foreign tourists to South Africa as soon as possible. What marketing are we doing ahead of the end of COVID-19 Lockdowns?
The Minister’s monologue was not an interaction that filled people with hope and trust in that the future of their industry is in good hands.
In 2009 Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane became a Member of Parliament and assumed several roles and responsibilities including Acting Deputy Chief Whip of African National Congress and Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Telecommunications and Postal Services.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Johannesburg (formerly Vista University), a Postgraduate Diploma in Project Management from Damelin College, a Masters Degree in Public and Development Management from the University of the Witwatersrand and completed a Programme for Leadership Development at Harvard Business School.
Kubayi-Ngubane is a member of the Global Artificial Intelligence Council established by the World Economic Forum’s Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. As part of the Council, she and other global leaders are tasked with the responsibility to provide strategic guidance to the international community on priorities for Artificial Intelligence, machine learning governance and cooperation, while helping to shape global policy development.
Nkhensani Kubayi-Ngubane was born and raised in Soweto. She and her family lived in a shack. Her mother was a domestic worker and a strong African National Congress supporter. Kubayi-Ngubane fell pregnant at the age of 17 and gave birth to a son. Despite challenges, she matriculated from Thusa-Setjhaba Secondary School in 1997 as the school’s top achiever and subsequently became involved in student politics. She attended the Vista University’s Soweto campus and obtained a BA Degree in Psychology and Sociology in 2000. She achieved a Project Management Diploma from Damelin in 2002.
Kubayi-Ngubane was first employed as a Community Developer in the non-governmental sector. She was soon employed at First National Bank as a Skills Development Specialist, and, later on, found employment in the Business Banking Division at Nedbank. She soon worked in the public sector as a Skills Development Facilitator at the National Health Laboratory Services.
In 2015, she achieved a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of the Witwatersrand.
Alan Straton
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