Minister de Lille slams O.R. Tambo “absolute chaos”; clears visa path for Indian tourism and business

Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille described the “absolute chaos” at O.R. Tambo International Airport, where flights were delayed due to aircraft refuelling problems during South Africa’s peak tourism season, as both very disappointing and worrying. In an interview with BizNews, De Lille criticised the Airports Company of South Africa for failing to ensure adequate preparedness for the peak tourism season. She has called for a meeting with the Transport Minister to convene all stakeholders and establish a robust contingency plan. The minister, who has just returned from a trip to India, highlighted significant progress in unlocking the vast potential of the Indian market for South Africa. This includes visa reforms for India and China, set to commence in January next year, as well as ongoing negotiations to re-establish direct flights between India and South Africa.

Reflecting on tensions within the Government of National Unity—particularly around controversial policies such as the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill and the National Health Insurance (NHI) plan—De Lille expressed optimism about achieving “sufficient consensus,” a principle that underpinned South Africa’s democratic transition.