The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority boat is rocking in turbulent waters amid reports that an urgent board meeting has been convened for Friday to address potpourri of issues chiefly workers grievances, resolution of the recent human resources audit, appointment of substantive chief executive among others, Zim Morning Post has learnt.
“The acting chief executive officer (Rita Likukuma) is unpopular and employees are complaining that she is not inspiring confidence and addressing salary issues amidst the uncontrollable inflation rocking the country
“Cronyism is also rearing its ugly head at the authority and its so glaring ,” said a disgruntled employee who refused to be named.
According to our source, the board meeting also seeks to address growing concern s that the authority is being run directly from the parent ministry as the minister of Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Prisca Mupfumira has strong ties with acting CEO Likukuma .
Likukuma is standing in for Karikoga Kaseke who is currently absent on medical grounds.
She is however angling herself to be appointed as substantive capacity, the Zim Morning Post has learnt.
This publication also understands that Kaseke was summoned to appear before the board of health inquiry for an assessment to determine whether if he is still fit and proper to work as the CE.
In the event that the medical reports prove otherwise, he will be forced into early retirement on medical grounds.
The authority is also alleged to be sending hand -picked personnel on ‘useless’ foreign trips under the guise of marketing destination Zimbabwe but there has been no significant change in the number of tourist arrivals.
“The Auditor General eneral’s office is currently conducting a financial audit to determine resource utilisation of funds allocated to the authority.
“Every week delegations from both the authority and ministry travel abroad in the name of destination marketing but this has yielded little to no results on the ground,” added our source.
The ZTA is a corporate body responsible for tourism promotion, planning and development, research and the enforcement of standards and services.
Its mandate is to manage and market Zimbabwe as a leading tourist destination in Africa and the world at large but it seems the current dispensation is unable to separate the thin line between the role of the authority and its parent ministry.
ZTA corporate services manager Godfrey Koti ‘s mobile phone was unavailable on Thursday while Likukuma’s mobile phone could not get through at time of writing.
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