VZCZCXRO8625
RR RUEHJO
DE RUEHSA #2873/01 1950435
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 140435Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4551
INFO RUEHJO/AMCONSUL JOHANNESBURG 4859
RUEHDR/AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM 2352

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PRETORIA 002873 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: OTRA PREL MARR ASEC SF TZ
SUBJECT:  COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR ACOTA - WILLIAM G. (CHIP) 
BECK AND JOHN SEVOLD 
 
REF:  STATE 104907 
          STATE 109668 
 
¶1.  Embassy Pretoria welcomes and grants country clearance to ACOTA 
Coordinator William G. (Chip) Beck and John Sevold from July 15-22, 
¶2006.  The purpose of the visit is follow-up on the JUN DEFCOM 
meeting requirements and for a site visit to Bloemfontein Mission 
Readiness Training center and other areas in preparation for the 
series of upcoming ACOTA training events and plans with SANDF. 
Lieutenant Colonel Brian Smith is the primary point of contact for 
this visit.  Embassy points of contact are: Political Officer 
Timothy Trenkle, office (27) (12) 431-4372, home (27) (12) 460-7842, 
cell 084-950-0694, email: TrenkleTP@state.gov;  Army Attach, 
Colonel Michael Garrison, office (27) (12) 431-4182, home (27) (12) 
346-3699, cell (27) (84) 950-0510, email: GarrisonME@state.gov; 
Chief Office of Defense Cooperation, LtCol Brian Smith, office (27) 
(12) 431-4708; cell (27) (84) 950-0659, email: SmithBP@state.gov. 
 
Please see CRIME below for information concerning baggage pilferage 
at Johannesburg International Airport (JIA). 
 
¶2.  Hotel reservations for Beck and Sevold have been made for late 
check in on July 15, and check out on July 19 for Sevold, and late 
check out on July 22 for Beck, at the Whistletree Lodge; Queenswood 
Pretoria.  Phone: (27) (12) 333-9915/6, fax (27) (12) 333-9917. 
Room rates are within per diem and include breakfast. 
Transportation has also been arranged. 
 
¶3.  VISAS 
 
Please Note: Your passport must 1) be valid for 30 days beyond 
planned stay in South Africa and 2) contain at least two clean 
(unstamped) pages whenever you enter South Africa.  Otherwise, you 
run the risk of being turned back. 
 
Initiating Travel from the U. S. 
 
South Africa no longer requires that U.S. citizens obtain visas for 
a stay in South Africa of 90 days or less--this applies to bona fide 
TDY, business, medical or tourist travel.  (Visitors overstaying 
this visa limit may be assessed a fine upon departure or renewal of 
visa.)  Upon arrival in South Africa, the traveler will be issued a 
visitor's permit for a maximum stay of 90 days. 
 
Initiating Travel from a Third Country 
 
Similarly, at this time visas no longer are required for U.S. 
citizens bearing tourist, official or diplomatic passports and 
traveling to South Africa for any purpose.  However, please check 
prior to your departure with the South African Consulate in the host 
country for up-to-date visa information. 
 
 
¶4.  ACCOMMODATION EXCHANGE AND PER DIEM 
 
At the Embassy, accommodation exchange facilities are available via 
Citibank, which is located in the lower lobby of the Chancery. 
Embassy Pretoria has recently acquired an ATM, and ATM/credit cards 
are accepted at most major establishments throughout South Africa. 
 
Due to constant currency fluctuations and special events, Post 
strongly recommends that travelers to Embassy Pretoria request 
actual subsistence authority in travel authorizations in accordance 
with 6 FAM 156.  By doing so, travelers can avoid being "out of 
pocket" when actual lodging exceeds the maximum lodging allowance. 
 
 
¶5.  THREAT ASSESSMENT 
 
While there are no areas within South Africa where travel is 
restricted for official visitors, they should consult with the 
Regional Security Office at post for the latest threat assessment, 
or check the post Web site. 
 
¶6.  SECURITY TRAINING 
 
All persons traveling to Pretoria for TDY stays of 30 days or more 
must attend the four-day Security Overseas Seminar/Working in an 
Embassy course at the Foreign Service Institute prior to arriving at 
Post (please contact FSI for details).  Agencies that choose to 
provide equivalent security training must provide written 
certification to the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic 
Security (William Armor, Assistant Director for Training, 
armorwd@state.gov; 703/205-2617) that its course meets FSI's 
criteria for overseas personal security training. 
 
¶7.  CRIME 
 
Crimes common to urban destinations worldwide--ATM scams, credit 
card fraud, hotel theft, muggings--are very much present in urban 
South Africa.  To a lesser extent, counterfeit U. S. currency and 
 
PRETORIA 00002873  002 OF 003 
 
 
check-cashing scams have been reported.  Please use all available 
means to protect credit cards, credit card numbers and personal 
identification numbers. 
 
There is a serious problem of baggage pilferage at JIA, particularly 
travelers changing airlines and those flying on smaller 
airlines-passengers flying on major international carriers are not 
affected to the same degree.  Post recommends that travelers lock 
their luggage, use an airport plastic wrapping service and avoid 
placing electronics, jewelry, cameras or other valuables in luggage. 
 Make an inventory of items in checked baggage to aid in claims 
processing if theft does occur. 
 
All visitors should use caution in the downtown areas surrounding 
their hotels, especially in the major cities.  Increased anti-crime 
efforts in city cores have made the suburbs of major metropolitan 
areas increasingly attractive targets for car hijacking and robbery. 
 
 
Visitors should be careful in central city areas near major taxi 
ranks, where taxi operators occasionally resort to violence to 
protect their routes, especially in KwaZulu Natal and the Eastern 
Cape.  Visitors should exit taxi rank areas immediately at the first 
sign of a disturbance.  The Embassy discourages visitors from using 
mini-bus taxis, which follow fixed routes and are flagged down by 
passengers almost everywhere on the streets and roads of South 
Africa.  Many of these vehicles fail to meet minimal safety 
standards; drivers frequently overload the vehicles and travel at 
excessive speeds.  Fatal accidents involving these conveyances are 
very common.  Travelers should also avoid local commuter and metro 
trains, even during off-peak, non-rush hour periods, as a number of 
Americans have been the victims of muggings and violent attacks. 
 
¶8.  DRIVING 
 
Traffic accidents may be as great a hazard as the more publicized 
crime.  Visitors should use great caution when driving, given the 
relatively high rates of driver speed on major thoroughfares, poor 
lighting on rural roads, presence of pedestrians and slow moving 
vehicles, aggressive driving behavior and insufficient regulatory 
control regarding licensing and vehicle maintenance.  Traffic drives 
on the left in South Africa, which requires U. S. drivers to 
exercise particular caution.  Special care should be taken if 
driving at night, but travelers should avoid night driving if at all 
possible. 
 
¶9.  MEDICAL 
 
Medical care in South Africa is of the standard of the United States 
and Western Europe.  First-rate physicians and hospitals are 
available.  However, the following areas are of particular 
significance: 
 
MALARIA:  The dangerous and potentially fatal falciparum malaria is 
endemic to the North Eastern part of the country.  It is essential 
that visitors traveling to many of the game parks, including Kruger 
Park, and those traveling to some other parts of Kwazulu Natal and 
the northern provinces, take malaria prophylaxis (either mefloquine 
or doxycycline) and use mosquito repellents at all times of the year 
regardless of the duration of their visit. 
 
HIV/AIDS:  South Africa has more HIV-infected persons than any other 
country in the world.  All of the usual precautions must be taken to 
avoid this easily prevented infection.  South Africa has one of the 
highest incidences of rape in the world, and while rape of 
foreigners has happened on rare occasions, Americans and other 
foreigners are not specifically targeted.  In the highly unlikely 
case of sexual assault, it is recommended that the victim take 
post-exposure prophylaxis as soon as feasible, and certainly within 
48 hours.  The health unit at Embassy Pretoria can advise on this 
matter. 
 
YELLOW FEVER:  South Africa requires that travelers from sites where 
yellow fever is prevalent (other parts of Africa and Central and 
South America) present proof of vaccination for yellow fever done 
within the last ten years.  Such a traveler arriving without this 
record WILL BE vaccinated at the at the point of entry and charged 
approximately $80. 
 
DVT:  Regardless of where you are coming from, the flight to 
Johannesburg is likely to be a very long one.  To lessen the 
likelihood of developing potentially dangerous Deep Vein Thrombosis 
(DVT) in the legs during a lengthy trip, it is advised that the 
traveler get up and walk around at least every ninety minutes while 
awake.  Getting an aisle seat is a good idea to facilitate walking 
on intercontinental aircraft in which the seating very often is 
cramped. 
 
¶10.  VALUE ADDED TAX (VAT) 
 
REFUNDS:  Non-resident foreign passport holders on a temporary visit 
 
PRETORIA 00002873  003 OF 003 
 
 
to South Africa are able to claim a VAT refund, provided that the 
supplier levied VAT and is a VAT-registered vendor.  To obtain a tax 
invoice for VAT refunds, you must identify yourself as a tourist to 
the shop assistant and request a tax invoice for the goods you have 
purchased.  Upon departure from one of the three international 
airports in South Africa (Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban), you will 
be required to present your purchases as well as the relevant tax 
invoices to a VAT refund official for inspection.  Once the official 
has endorsed the invoices, you must present your claim at the VAT 
office located at the airport.  Should you require more information 
on VAT refunds, information brochures are available upon your 
arrival at the airport. 
 
Please note that the vast majority of American visitors complete 
their travels in South Africa without incident. 
 
¶11.  Travelers wanting to connect to Pretoria's SBU network with a 
laptop must meet the following conditions:  laptop must be 
government procured and owned; 
must be set up with DOS security standards and software; must be 
controlled in transit by the user or shipped to post via Pouch; will 
be scanned by ISSO for security setup prior to allowing its use on 
the network; and SMS client and antivirus software will be installed 
on the laptop by the network once connected. 
Note:  Laptops are not allowed in CAA spaces without prior approval 
of RSO. 
 
 
TEITELBAUM