To: Rt Hon Grant Shapps
I am writing to express my dismay that you have retained South Africa on the Red List despite their rapidly decreasing infection rates and their excellent management of the Covid 19 crisis over there.
The country desperately needs the travel industry to open up and to receive tourists. Many black and mixed race communities are already living in and on the edge of poverty and now their situations have deteriorated even further due to the country suffering severely economically as many of their major industries including tourism and  their wine producing farms have closed and are declaring themselves bankrupt. These are key industries and sources of employment for the country as a whole and is deeply impacting on those living in poverty.   
There are many UK residents that not only visit this country on a regular basis but who also have family and friends whom we have been unable to visit for months.
I don't believe you have taken account of how well South Africa has managed the Covid 19 crisis, including being one of the first countries in the world in March 2020 to close all their borders and airports, unlike the UK who left airports open and continued to allow many people into our country. We are an island you could have closed the borders.
We were caught up in needing to be repatriated from South Africa last April 2020 due to the airport closure at Cape Town.
I have many contacts and friends out there and have an up to date picture and personal experience of what is happening there.  The rules in South Africa are implemented without exception, including the compulsory wearing of masks in shops and restaurants, unlike here, there are no exceptions for people on health grounds. In South Africa no mask you simply don't get into places. Their Covid 19 figures and deaths have never been anything like the scale they are in the UK.
Here in the UK we have abided by the rules, had the jabs and yet have been denied access to our families and friends for months and months with no clear discernible or explainable reason by our government. In addition access to South Africa was made even more difficult as the Red Hotel prices were subsequently and unreasonably increased. Despite requesting via my MP, no formal investigation of the practices of the Red Hotels has been  implemented. Please take South Africa off the Red List urgently.