The Tourism Sector calls for an end to the illegal strike by the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) staff

  • April 9th, 2021

The tourism sector in Mpumalanga represented by the Kruger Lowveld Tourism and the Southern African Tourism Association (SATSA) Mpumalanga Chapter is calling for an end to the illegal strike by the staff of the MTPA and the immediate opening of all the reserves and tourism attractions.  This follows the closure of all reserves and tourism attractions operated by the MTPA from Tuesday the 6th of April 2021. 

The outlook for the tourism and hospitality industry remains uncertain, as the sector continues to suffer under the weight of COVID-19 with no end in sight.  Worldwide lock-downs in response to the coronavirus pandemic continue to hit the tourism industry. There have been no partial exemptions such as those enjoyed by the banking, mining and food retail sectors.  As the country heads into its tourism low season (winter), it is clear that many tourism-reliant individuals and companies have not done well enough in the summer months to survive. 

“The sector is at its knees and we need everyone to pull together to save the thousands of jobs that are being at stake, the recovery of the sector cannot afford to be disrupted by an illegal strike, we expect the management of the MTPA to follow all legal processes to end the strike immediately and open all the attraction sites.” said Oupa Pilane, the Chairperson of SATSA Mpumalanga and Kruger Lowveld Tourism.  We understand that workers have grievances but that does not give them the right to disrupt the recovery of tourism and put thousands of small businesses and jobs on the line. This is an economic sabotage. We live in a democratic country and there are procedures to be followed to resolve disputes without resorting to illegal means, Pilane continued.

We would also like to inform our visitors that Mpumalanga is open for business as it has a variety of attractions that are open and continue to operate, and they should not cancel their visits to the beautiful Mpumalanga.

Issued by Oupa Pilane

Chaiperson KLT & SATSA- MP: 082 371 8413