The Western Cape’s tourism support team has been mobilised to support a British tourist, whose new bride was killed after a hijacking in Gugulethu township near Cape Town on Saturday night. The honeymooning couple, named as Shrien (31) and Anni (28) Dewani, arrived in Cape Town on Friday. Reports said they were touring the winelands near Stellenbosch on Saturday and dined in a restaurant in Somerset. They caught a taxi back to Cape Town and asked the driver to take them to a well-known nightlife hot spot in Gugulethu. It appears the cab was slightly off course when it was hijacked in NY1 in the township. The driver was pushed from the vehicle but the couple were abducted. The husband was robbed and released an hour later. He alerted the police and the vehicle was found later abandoned with the body of the wife on the back seat. Unconfirmed reports said she was shot dead. A murder docket has been opened and a post mortem is being conducted. Western Cape Tourism Minister, Alan Winde, and Community Safety Minister, Albert Fritz, in a joint statement expressed deep sadness at the incident.  Winde said he had immediately mobilised the tourism support team to provide trauma counseling and accommodation to Dewani and to facilitate communication with the British Embassy. “We are giving this gentleman all the support we can. The fact that there has not been a major incident since the start of the 2010 Fifa World Cup is no consolation,” he said. Fritz said he had instructed the police to mobilise every available resource to bring about speedy arrests and appealed to the local community to come forward with information.  “As Minister of Community Safety, my concern is for the safety of all people in this province, both locals and visitors alike. I have just been informed of another hijacking involving a local couple. This could have happened to any of our loved ones and it is important that communities become involved in doing the right thing.” Meanwhile, Cape Town Tourism ceo, Mariëtte du Toit-Helmbold responded with shock: “Cape Town Tourism is deeply saddened and dismayed by this senseless murder of a young woman in our city. We offer our heartfelt condolences to her husband Shrien Dewani, family and friends.” She said the incident highlighted the importance of integrated visitor safety programmes, visitor education and community awareness of the importance of tourism. Alderman Felicity Purchase, Executive Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Development and Tourism at the City of Cape Town, said: “Visitor and tourist safety remains a top priority in Cape Town. We are appealing to the tourism industry and the public to be vigilant around tourism safety and to caution visitors not to enter unfamiliar areas, especially at night. “We hosted an incident-free World Cup and are now facing the very real risk that tragic incidents like this will negate our hard-won positive reputation and create another spiral of Afro pessimism. It remains our duty as hosts to ensure that our visitors are protected and cared for. As one of the top economic contributors to the Western Cape region, tourism is essential to our economic well being.” CTT said safety and security concerns remained the biggest stumbling block to tourism growth in South Africa. CTT, in conjunction with provincial and city partners and key stakeholders from the safety and tourism sector, had long been working to find proactive solutions to deal with this issue. “A Cape Town Visitor Safety and Support plan was developed in 2005 and outlines an integrated approach to incident management. No single agency, business or service can plan or react to visitor incidents alone. The plan includes proactive and reactive programmes as well as a dedicated Visitor Safety and Support Programme (VSSP). A Visitor Safety and Security Forum is also in place, where interested Cape Town Tourism industry members, safety and security agencies, stakeholders and major attractions collectively work to formulate, activate and track the progress of projects that ensure a safer city for visitors.” “With the peak season approaching, visitor safety is even more critical,” said Du Toit-Helmbold.  “We are appealing to the public to extend the hospitality we showed visitors during the World Cup by taking joint responsibility for tourism safety, especially over the next few months.  Capetonians are asked to assist in warning tourists about the dangers of walking around with obvious valuables on their person, and to steer them away from walking around alone after dark. “Authorities have identified key sites and tourism hotspots around the city for intensified patrols with increased security measures and personnel. This includes all areas of Table Mountain National Park. Police officers will be able to communicate with visitors in a variety of languages after receiving training prior to the World Cup, and various safety programmes are being run by tourism centres across the city. Residents can also assist the police by reporting any suspicious activity around tourist sites. “The next Cape Town Tourism Safety Forum will take place on November 18. Key stakeholders including the Western Cape Provincial Government, the City of Cape Town, SANParks, major hotel groups, the Backpackers’ Association and Cape Town Partnership will discuss proactive strategies for ensuring visitor safety during the festive season,” she said. To report any safety incidents, visitors can call the following numbers:
• All emergencies from your mobile phone – 112
• All emergencies from a landline – 107
• South African Police Service (SAPS) – 10111 As in all world cities, visitors are encouraged to take shared responsibility for their own safety. Cape Town Tourism urges travellers:
• To avoid carrying large sums of cash or valuables in plain sight
• Not to leave belongings unattended
• To heed the advice of their Cape Town hosts on the various suburbs of the city and the more dangerous parts of town
• Not to walk alone at night and to take special precaution at lonely lookout points, especially at dusk or after dark
• Not to allow strangers to assist in any way at cash points
• To refrain from giving money to beggars
• To park in secure, well-lit areas at night
• To keep photocopies of all valuable documents in a safe place.