The safety and security of tourists with reference to the Sebideng District Municipality

Abstract

The government of South Africa in the White Paper on Tourism recognises the importance of attracting foreign investment in order to achieve the growth and development objectives of the tourism sector. Foreign investment will increase competition and improve standards as well as create employment and facilitate economic growth. The government should establish a climate of political stability, economic growth and profitability, and provide transparent, stable and consistent policies to attract foreign investment. Crime in South Africa is high and widely believed to restrain investment. The South African White Paper on Tourism has categorically and succinctly stipulated policy guidelines to ensure that tourists are maximally safe and secure. The traditional response to rising crime has been to devote more resources to law enforcement and to introduce tougher penalties in the hope of deterring offenders from committing further crimes. For the purpose of the study, the hypothesis was formulated that the safety and security policy for sustainable development does not necessarily provide a solution to crime and further proactive measures need to be implemented to promote tourism in Sedibeng District Municipality. This study will focus on; strategies for preventing crime in the Sedibeng District Municipality. It is recognised that such policies may need to go beyond the traditional concerns of the criminal justice system (i.e. police, the courts and prisons) if crime prevention is to be addressed in a comprehensive way. Combating crime has been tackled in various ways throughout the world, with some strategies being more successful than others. With the process of formulating a National Crime Prevention Strategy (NCPS) high on South Africa's agenda, the wealth of international experience in crime prevention cannot be ignored. Research, monitoring and objective evaluation of crime policies and programmes, aimed at ensuring that limited financial resources are used most effectively, is a significant contribution which criminologists can make to the policy-making process.