4-21-2004 at 4:56 am Chicago time.



I spoke with South Africa Police about the meeting yesterday with South African Airlines and the In-Transit form WILL NOT be required if going through South Africa onto another country.



South African Airlines will be checking your baggage to your final destination.



If you overnight in South Africa, you would fill out the importation form as is currently being done.

_____________



Dear Travel Partner,



We have received the following from the Manager of AviationSecurity at JNB:



"Passengers traveling on the services of SAA from any destination outside the borders of South Africa and who transit in Johannesburg to a third destination in Africa do NOT require a "Transit" permit. The baggage/firearm can be through-checked to the final destination."



The only time when such a permit is required is when the passenger wants to leave the transfer area and enter South Africa. The transit permit can then be obtained from the South African Police Services at the airport in terminal 2.



We are told that this is definitive, and should end all rumors regarding this procedure. If you hear anything to the contrary, please let me know. Should there be any changes, we will inform you immediately.







Best regards,



Brian Hurta

Sales Development Manager - Central

South African Airways











Kathi



kathi@wldtravel.com

Good news,
That is excactly the same information that I got from Inspec. Conroy when talking to him an hour ago....

Thank you for taking the time to inform us. This one one less thing to worry about now for my trip next year. jorge

Kathi, as usual you're right on top of things, which I really like. Any chance anyone is going to put this little tidbit in any official document that can be presented if anyone at the airports is confused?

Thanks,

Shannon

Way to go, Kathi, you are a star! Thanks for putting this info up.

I met for some time with Inspector Conroy last year while waiting for clients at JHB. He's a pretty decent guy basically working with both hands tied behind his back. He's not anti hunter, anti gun or anything, just trying to do his job and a very frustrating one at that with the government he works for.

Glad this has worked out for everyone, I know there will be many sighs of relief from my clients.

Thansk again Kathi for keeping us all up to date on this issue. You spoil us all with this level of service. Gotogirl - I don't think it's possible for Kathi to get anything official stating that something that was never put in place will not be implemented. Especially from a country in Africa - it's almost impossible to even find out what is in place yet alone get confirmation about a policy that was never put in place. You could try communicting with SAP directly, but I think that would be an exercise in futility. I'm leaving on May 19th. for Zim and I'm going through Joberg. I'll take Kathi's word on this and just check my bags all the way to Vic Falls and check with the airline at each stop to confirm that my bags have been loaded on the connecting flight.

It seems like SAA has finally sorted things out and just to back up what Kathi has posted, this is what I got today as well.

We have received the following from the Manager of AviationSecurity at JNB:

"Passengers traveling on the services of SAA from any destination outside the borders of South Africa and who transit in Johannesburg to a third destination in Africa do NOT require a "Transit" permit. The baggage/firearm can be through-checked to the final destination."

The only time when such a permit is required is when the passenger wants to leave the transfer area and enter South Africa. The transit permit can then be obtained from the South African Police Services at the airport in terminal 2.

We are told that this is definitive, and should end all rumors regarding this procedure

GotoGirl:

I agree with Labman. It will be impossible to get the gov't to prove a negative... i.e., that the regulation is NOT in effect. All trips to anywhere, now that terrorists are blowing up stuff willy nilly, is somewhat of a crap shoot. All we can do is get the best info available and depend on the professionals. So...

Here's to Kathi!

Ditto to that JudgeG

with regard to anyone coming into RSA after JULY 1st things are now even more confused......this is becoming a real pig f**k of a situation.

Kathi, myself and Insp Conroy had a conference call this morning where Insp conroy told us that he had attended a meeting with SAA the previous afternoon and that the old import rules would continue to apply after the July 1st deadline. In other words you can just pitch up at the airport and as long as you had proof of ownership and details of where you're hunting and who with etc, the SAP would issue a temporary import licence......he also told us that any changes would only happen on July 1st and not June 1st as he had previously stated.

Then I called the Air2K people who told me that they had attended a different meeting with SAA (the same day)and had been told that as the new act had been passed stating the new 21 day notice requirement etc the SAP would be bound by law to enforce the new requirement.

So then I spoke to PHASA and asked them for their opinion and they tell me that as they still don't have anything in writing either way and they were not prepared to issue advice to anyone until they do.

As I said, it's a real pig f**k of a situation.......still, as a good friend and client of mine says 'That's Africa Bwana'

All I can do is try to monitor the situation and post anything I discover. For those of you who are e-mailing me for advice please accept my apologies if I don't get back to you immediatly...... I'm doing my best, but am very busy with my own clients at the moment and as I'm sure you'll appreciate they must get first priority....... If you're in a hurry for your requested info I can only suggest you try to contact your own agent or outfitter who in actual fact should be keeping you up to speed on this situation themselves.

Steve,



Thanks again to you Kathi and the others banging your head against a brick wall on this for us.



If I were travelling this July or after, whether to RSA or just transiting onwards, I think I would apply for the permit ahead of time, and I think I would apply giving as much notice as I could.



Hopefully, one of two things would happen:



a) The system would work and a permit would arrive in the post well in time for the trip or)



b) an offical letter would arrive back saying that such a permit was not required. I would then carry that letter along with a couple of copies with me when I traveled.



Of course another possibility is that:



C)Your application or the permit/reply would be lost, but at least you'd be trying!



Regards,



Pete

Does anyone know the procedure for applying for the permit in advance?

Chris - Will do. Getting anxious thinking about the Buff.