Lengthy queues at OR Tambo Airport in Johannesburg are delaying international tourists 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.
The department had prioritised the rolling out of biometrics at South Africa’s busiest posts, said Tshwete, adding that it was also was being rolled out at other ports of entry. He said it would be implemented at land borders by the end of the financial year.
According to Tshwete, taking biometrics at the airport meant that people requiring visas no longer had to apply in person, as initially required with changes to immigration regulations announced in 2014.
Asked why international visitors who did not need visas also had to submit biometric data at the airport, Tshwete said it was to improve security. He added that all developed countries required visitors to submit biometric data and the department was moving with the times. He said because an international visitor could be in an accident or involved in a crime, either as a victim or perpetrator, it was necessary to have all visitors’ fingerprints on a database.
However, Frost suggested that until Home Affairs had employed more immigration officials, biometrics should only be taken from visa-requiring 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.”
According to Frost, in recognition of the tourism industry’s contribution to the economy, the delays at OR Tambo airport 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 said.
“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 said. “I urge Minister Hanekom to take this matter up urgently with the Deputy President.”
