The Democratic Alliance (DA) has submitted parliamentary questions regarding the fact that no application submitted since mid-2019 to the Culture, Arts, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport Sector Education and Training Authority (CATHSSETA) have been processed.
On Tuesday, in a parliamentary portfolio committee meeting on tourism, CATHSSETA confirmed the findings of an independent investigation by the DA. While CATHSSETA tried to blame the Covid-19 pandemic for the lack of progress in processing the submissions since last year, the real blame should be laid on its new computer system.
The new system, which is not user friendly, is unwieldy and is driven by hardcopy documentation, was introduced upon the appointment of a new service provider by CATHSSETA. The irregularities surrounding the tender for the system should also be highlighted. The DA’s investigation reveals that the service provider was established only a few months prior to obtaining the tender. Another red-light is the fact that this tender has been issued for a 10-year period – something which is most unusual.
Whilst the previous system wasn’t perfect, it was able to process applications. At present, the new ‘up-graded’ system does nothing but hamper the registration of qualified applicants and blocks the growth of this vital sector of the South African economy. The DA will continue to investigate the allegations of fraud and corruption regarding the new computer system and will monitor the processing of applications. The tourism sector has been trampled on long enough. This is another example of how government is destroying the tourism and related sectors.