Freedom Mupanedemo
The African Union-endorsed candidate for the post of Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and Zimbabwe’s Minister of Tourism and the Hospitality Industry, Dr Walter Mzembi, has just formally launched his candidature for the world’s top tourism job in Madrid, Spain.
The UNWTO is headquartered in the Spanish capital.
Amid a stampede from other candidates, among them spoilers now expressing interest for the top job as the May poll nears, Dr Mzembi needs to hold his nerve and remain focused while looking forward to the big day.
Having been unanimously endorsed by African Heads of State and Government at the AU summit held in Kigali, Rwanda in July, 2016, Dr Mzembi kicked off his campaign by touring the region while thanking Africa for vesting her faith in him as the region seeks to have the first UNWTO secretary general from Africa since its inception in 1975.
For the whole of last year, Dr Mzembi was largely the only candidate to publicly announce his preparedness to take over the reins from the incumbent, Dr Talib Rifai of Jordan, with his rivals choosing to remain in their shells.
But as the race for the world tourism plebiscite reaches fever pitch, more candidates have emerged including some who look like spoilers from Africa.
Those who have since declared their interest in the top job include Mr Zurab Pololikashvili of Georgia, Brazil’s Marcio Favilla Lucca de Paula and Mrs Gloria Guevara of Mexico.
Those from Africa are Mr Alain St Ange of Seychelles and Mr Lahcen Haddad of Morroco.
While the candidature of Mr Haddad of Morocco was received begrudgingly by many Africans, that of Mr St Ange, the Seychelles Tourism Minister, came as a shock, as the island nation is in total breach of the AU resolution to endorse one candidate in the name of Dr Mzembi in line with the Kigali summit protocol.
Both Seychelles and Zimbabwe are members of the 15-member regional bloc, Sadc, which has also backed the candidature of Dr Mzembi for the top UN tourism job.
While analysts feel Morocco, as an African country but not a member of the AU, should have just respected the voice and position of the continent, the move by Seychelles was viewed as suicidal as it clearly breached a resolution by a bloc under which it is a member.
“The move by Seychelles to throw in a candidate in direct defiance to what all African Heads of States at the AU summit agreed shows how far apart we are from becoming a united continent that speaks with one voice in as far as solving or fighting a common cause is concerned in Africa,” said analyst, Mr George Manyumwa.
He was, however, confident Dr Mzembi would land the post judging by his tourism curriculum vitae.
“He also held the UNWTO position in the region and the world knows Zimbabwe hosted a very successful UNWTO general assembly session in 2013. He must keep on dreaming. Africa deserves that post as well,” said Mr Manyumwa.
So, Dr Mzembi, having served as Zimbabwe’s Minister of Tourism and the Hospitality Industry since 2009 and having represented his country on the regional UNWTO Executive Council since 2013 where he is currently serving his second consecutive term as Chairperson of the UNWTO’s Regional Commission for Africa, is surely a bull in the ring.
He should remain focused and carry the African dream of landing the post for the first time.
Perhaps the biggest threat in the race could be Mr de Paula, the current UNWTO executive director for operational programmes and institutional relations, but Dr Mzembi must ride on the general feeling across the world that it is time for Africa to shine.
Dr Mzembi has stood up to be a man with a long-standing, and deep passion for tourism in all its many facets. This convinced the AU heads of states that he is the best man to take tourism, not only in Africa, but the world to another level.
With the backing of Africa, Dr Mzembi already has some significant votes in his bag as the world counts down to the poll. In his campaign last year, Dr Mzembi also visited Egypt where that country’s Tourism Minister, Mohamed Yehia Rashed promised to help his counterpart to lure the Middle East votes.
One would need 17 votes out of the 33 executive council votes to win
Of the 33 executive votes Africa has 10, Europe 10, and America five. The Middle East has three while South Asia and The Pacific has five votes each. —Zimpapers Syndication.