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Dr Walter Mzembi

Oliver Kazunga/Sugar Chagonda
SOUTH Africa has endorsed the Sadc and African Union positions on the candidature of Dr Walter Mzembi who is contesting the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) secretary general post.

Speaking at a high profile diplomatic dinner hosted by South Africa in honour of Dr Mzembi last week, the Minister of Tourism for South Africa, Dr Thokozile Xasa, said Africa must demonstrate unity of purpose in the forthcoming UNWTO secretary general elections by voting for Minister Mzembi.

The UNWTO secretary general election would be held in Spain on May 12. She said this was critical if the continent is to collectively address the challenges affecting the growth of the sector.

“Africa is presenting itself as a united continent. By so doing Africa will give a proper agenda to the world because it’s Africa’s time now. We South Africans stand today in support of his candidature and we believe that Minister Mzembi’s great vision for global tourism is a reflection that Africa is rising. This is an opportunity for regional integration so that we can improve our market share collectively”, said Dr Xasa.

Dr Mzembi, who is the Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry and also the present UNWTO regional commission for Africa chairperson, if elected to lead the world’s biggest tourism body, will resign from the Government and would take up his post at the organisation headquarters in January 2018.

Commending the gesture shown by the South African government and the entire continent, Dr Mzembi made an undertaking to advance transformative leadership at the UNWTO saying it’s important to deal with issues around connectivity, facilitation of seamless travel, sustainable and responsible tourism and rebranding of the entire organisation.

“We want to sustain the enormous gains already made in promoting and facilitating seamless travel and to enhance the performance of our sector. I would like the organisation to be able to better and more effectively respond to the developmental aspirations of member states.

“Connectivity, be it infrastructural, electronic, digital or virtual is the revolutionary agenda of our times and with it comes growth of tourism,” he said.

The diplomatic dinner held in Pretoria, South Africa was attended by among others, Ambassadors and members of the diplomatic corps accredited to South Africa including Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to South Africa Amb Isaac Moyo.

The incumbent UNWTO secretary general, Dr Taleb Rifai, a Jordanian national, recently described Dr Mzembi as “a winner already” at a diplomatic reception hosted by Zimbabwean Embassy in Ethiopia last month. Dr Rifai is due to stand down from the post at the end of the year.