Minister Derek Hanekom welcomes delay of Day Zero in Cape Town
The Minister of Tourism, Mr Derek Hanekom, welcomed the announcement by the City of Cape Town that continued water-savings in the province resulted in Day Zero being avoided in 2018.
“The tourism sector is a critical contributor to South Africa’s economy and GDP. It is responsible for the creation of over 700 000 direct jobs and supports thousands of small and medium-sized enterprises across the country. The news of this delay will allay concerns of both international and domestic travellers and will reinforce our stance that South Africa’s tourism sector remains open for business,” explained Minister Hanekom.
“Water-savings must remain a part of our long-term strategy to avoid Day Zero in its entirety and we encourage all travellers to support the #WaterWiseTourism movement and adhere to the water restrictions that remain in place in the Cape Town,” continued Minister Hanekom.
“I urge all travellers and citizens alike not to relax their water-saving efforts. Whilst the City of Cape Town is confident in avoiding Day Zero this year, one cannot predict the volume of rain fall still to come. However, it has been very pleasing to see that travellers and citizens have met the challenge by lowering their consumption, and we congratulate them on ultimately contributing to responsible tourism,” concluded Hanekom.
Media enquiries:
Nurunessa Moolla
Tel: 012 444 6770
E-mail: nmoolla@tourism.gov.za
