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Harare Bureau

ZIMBABWE Tourism Authority (ZTA) acting chief executive, Mrs Rita Likukuma, has been removed from her position under unclear circumstances.

Sources say the removal relates to the way she bungled the retrechment of about 35 employees early July. At the time of the retrechment, ZTA said the move was in line with good corporate governance and the need to cut the wage bill. But in a dramatic U-turn, Mrs Likukuma reinstated all the affected employees citing the need to follow due process, which the Retrechment Board had suggested had not been observed.

Some board members, said Mrs Likukuma, had not consulted them by the time of retrenching the employees. Close sources said the move to reinstate the 35 employees came after pressure from other board members.

ZTA acting board chairperson Dr Precious Sibiya said yesterday that Mrs Likukuma had been removed as acting CEO and recalled to the board. Before assuming the position of acting ZTA chief executive, she was a board member. “We have recalled her to the board and we have appointed Givemore Chidzidzi in the meantime,” he said.

Asked why the move to recall her was taken, Dr Sibiya said; “We are just abiding with the corporate governance rules and regulations as prescribed.

“We are in the process of cleaning up our house and we are doing everything correctly so we thought it was not proper for her to continue holding on to the position of chief executive when she was a board member. So it was not in line with good corporate governance,” said Dr Sibiya. It remains to be seen how Mr Chidzidzi will handle the case of reinstated workers considering that Mrs Likukuma had indicated that they were going to be sacked soon, but this time following procedures.

Mr Chidzidzi has been a long time chief operating officer at ZTA and was seen by observers as the natural replacement of chief executive, Mr Karikoga Kaseke, who has been away from duty due to illness since last year.