The hijacking of a bus carrying about 40 Taiwanese businessmen on the N12 in Mpumalanga was bad news for South African tourism, the Democratic Alliance said on Sunday.
The businessman were robbed of R2-million cash and valuable items near Ogies in Mpumalanga on Sunday by a gang of armed men, including two bogus policemen.
”SA Tourism has invested a substantial amount in marketing South Africa in the Far East, and this is exactly the kind of bad news we don’t need,” DA representative Janet Semple said.
”It is important that the clearly justifiable fears that potential tourists might have following this incident are countered by instituting concrete steps to deal with this threat to tourist safety.”
She said it appeared that the robbery was a carefully planned operation, especially targeting tourists.
”We urge the Minister of Safety and Security to provide the necessary resources to ensure the safety of tourists on our roads,” she said.
Police representative Inspector Jacky Nkoana said armed men driving a Mercedes Benz, Toyota Corolla and another vehicle stopped the tourist bus just after midnight on Sunday.
Two officers, one in Metro police uniform and the other in South African Police Service uniform ordered the driver to get out of the bus.
Nkoana said they asked him why he was driving recklessly and ordered him to get into their car. Four armed men got into the bus while they were talking to the driver.
The bogus officers drove off with the driver in their vehicle and one of the armed men drove the bus. The other gunmen forced the tourists to hand them their cash, cameras, jewellery, credit cards, cellphones and travellers’ bags. Nkoana said the cash carried by the 40 men amounted to R2-million.
They drove about one kilometre before stopping the bus and speeding off.
The Taiwanese were on their way to Swaziland for the Eighth Taiwan Businessmen’s Meeting, and to welcome Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian, who is due to begin his visit to Swaziland on Sunday.
He is on a ten-day visit to Senegal, Malawi, Swaziland, Sao Tome and Principe. – Sapa