The South African Police Service (SAPS) has deployed vehicles to escort tour buses travelling in North West province – home to the iconic Sun City resort and the Pilanesberg National Park – as one of a number of emergency safety interventions put in place after several targeted ambushes.

Public- and private-sector stakeholders have rallied together to rapidly implement the interventions during South Africa’s traditional high season. The safety plan comes in response to two armed hold-ups of tour buses carrying international tourists on October 7 and December 2. An incident following the same modus operandi took place on November 24 but was thwarted when the driver of the bus – carrying 32 Austrian tourists – opted to drive through the perpetrators’ attempted blockade.

The safety plan was communicated at a briefing held by the North West Department of Economic Development, Environment, Conservation and Tourism (DEDECT) at Sun City on December 13.

Devised after public-private sector meetings on December 7 and December 11, interventions include the deployment of 35 SAPS vehicles to patrol high-traffic roads and to escort buses carrying international tourists. Meanwhile, Sun City – spearheading the engagements from the private sector – has enlisted four data collection monitors who, together with tour operators, will lead the compilation of daily reports and the monitoring of large international tourist groups. Associations, including the Tourism Business Council of South Africa and SATSA, are putting their weight behind the safety plan, which has also entailed forming a dedicated WhatsApp number, email address and phone line.

“We have never had security issues until this point that required the quick development of a safety plan,” stressed Sun City GM, Brett Hoppé. “It has been incredible to see the urgency with which provincial government and the SAPS have recognised the seriousness of this matter and how expeditiously they have acted upon it and collaborated with the private sector to initiate an effective response.”

Even with the enhanced security measures, tour operators and self-drive tourists have been advised to use the N4 route to Sun City from Johannesburg, instead of the R556 road where the attacks occurred, to minimise any risk.

Hoppé said occupancies for the high season were “extremely buoyant”, and with the safety plan in action, he was going into the festive season with a great sense of comfort.

Need to liaise with neighbouring Gauteng

Working together with law enforcement agencies, the North West provincial government suspects that criminals from the neighbouring Gauteng province have most likely perpetrated the attacks.

During the briefing, Mpho Maleme, from the North West Department of Community Safety and Transport Management, said there was an urgent need for collaboration with the Gauteng government in developing tourist safety plans.

“When we engaged with communities in the North West and did our investigations, we erred in the area that we did not involve Gauteng in these discussions. From what we have assessed, these criminals are not from the North West, they are from Gauteng. So we need to go back and see how we can involve Gauteng,” said Maleme.

Discussions during the meetings settled on the possibility that the tour buses were followed from Gauteng to the North West, where they were ambushed.

Responding to a media question on whether tourists in rental vehicles – travelling solo or in small groups – would be targeted, Hoppé said this was unlikely.

“The target has been coaches because they present significant value with a large number of tourists carrying valuables.”

Bernard Marobe, Founder of Kgabo Safaris, which operates tours in the Pilanesberg, said he was heartened to hear of the measures taken by government and the private sector.

“The fact is that if tourists don’t come and income dries up, people will be retrenched; that’s just how it works. The last few months have been painful because this is where our bread is buttered.”

Lebogang Diale, Acting HOD of DEDECT, said additional steps would be taken in the new year to bolster security in the longer term. These include the continued strengthening of public-private partnerships, the identification of other tourism hotspots in North West and the potential installation of security cameras.