Zambians advised to book reputable hotels while in SA

The Zambian High Commission in Pretoria, South Africa has advised Zambians traveling to South Africa to ensure that they book themselves in reputable hotels and other forms of accommodation to avoid falling victim to unscrupulous people.

In an advisory, the High Commission says it has noted with concern the frequency in which Zambians are victims of crime especially to those arriving at Oliver Reginald Tambo (ORT) International Airport and staying overnight to transit to other countries.

It notes that most of those who have been attacked book themselves in lodges around Kempton Park, advising the traveling public to instead stay at renowned hotels around OR Tambo International Airport.

The High Commission is also advising the traveling public to avoid seeking services from exposed points of sale such as Bureaux de Change or ATMs at airports or bus stations as this tended to attract criminals.

The advisory comes in the wake of reports of several Zambians being waylaid and robbed of their belongings and valuables as soon as they arrived at airports or bus stations.

In a statement, press secretary at the High Commission Nicky Shabolyo says the High Commission has received several reports in the recent past with the latest being that of seven Zambian senior officials traveling from Angola who were trailed from the airport to their lodging facility in Kempton Park in Johannesburg, where they were held at gun point and ordered to surrender all that they were carrying.