South Africa’s Tourism minister Tokozile Xasa says Africa’s time is now, while endorsing her counterpart Walter Mzembi as the right candidate for the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) secretary general’s position.
BY BUSINESS REPORTER
Mzembi will fight it out with five other candidates — Márcio Favilla (Brazil), Jaime Alberto Cabal Sanclemente (Colombia), Zurab Pololikashvili (Georgia), Young-shim Dho (South Korea) and Alain St. Ange from Seychelles to head the organisation from 2018 to 2021.
The winning candidate will replace Jordanian, Taleb Rifai, who has been at the helm of the global tourism body for eight years.
At a dinner she hosted for Mzembi in Pretoria on Friday, Xasa said Mzembi was a tested leader who has been endorsed by Southern Africa Development Community (Sadc) and African Union.
“With enthusiast leaders in the calibre of minister Mzembi, we are really repositioning tourism to take centre stage into the agenda of the world,” she said.
“Should we succeed in that, we really would give a proper agenda to the world by taking our centre stage because Africa’s time is now.”
Xasa said her country was standing behind Mzembi as he had been endorsed by Sadc and the African Union.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
She said Mzembi’s work and “ambassadorship that you have done through your campaign will result in us being a strong, united and influential global player and partner”.
In his speech at the dinner, Mzembi said his mandate as Tourism minister of Zimbabwe bears testimony to the tough training and preparation “I have had to go through to reposition Zimbabwe after a decade of disagreement with some sections of the international community.
“Whereas Zimbabwe was once a ‘to-be-avoided’ destination, it is now very much a ‘must-see’ destination as confirmed by the 2015 New York Times in its 52 Must Visit Report. Earlier this year, the prestigious Conte Naste Traveller Magazine placed only two African countries in its global top 17 destinations — Zimbabwe at number 13 and Rwanda at number 14,” he said.
Mzembi said the highlight of that repositioning process and endorsement of brand Zimbabwe, was the hosting, in 2013, of the 20th UNWTO General Assembly in Victoria Falls and Livingstone.
Mzembi has been traversing the world to garner support of the 33 members of the executive council which will vote for Rifai’s successor on May 12 in Madrid, Spain.
The Zimbabwean Tourism minister enters the polls with backing of the African Union, which endorsed him for the post at a heads of States and governments meeting in Rwanda last July.
The entry of St. Ange into the race has threatened to derail Mzembi’s African vote. But the African ministers are standing behind the Zimbabwean Tourism minister and recently wrote a letter to the AU Commission to order St Ange to withdraw from the race. The AU has reaffirmed its support for Mzembi with AU Commission deputy chairperson, Kwesi Quartey urging Africa to vote as one united bloc to increase its chances of winning adding “we must win this for the first time”.
Rifai has also praised Mzembi for his professionalism and efforts to improve Zimbabwe’s brand.
“Whatever happens in May (the month in which the UNWTO election will take place), for me you are already a winner, you have already won,” Rifai said at a gala dinner organised for Mzembi by the Zimbabwean embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia two weeks ago.
