masebo tours south and west

By Chali Mulenga

TOURISM and Arts minister Sylvia Masebo’s recent tour of Livingstone, Kazungula and Sesheke has warmed up preparations for the 20^th session of United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) general assembly next.

As she rightly pointed out during her recent visit to Livingstone and borders of Kazungula and Katimamulilo in Sesheke, the countdown to 2013 UNWTO general assembly has started as only about 360 days have remained ahead of the event which will be co-hosted by Victoria Falls town in Zimbabwe from August 24 to 29, 2013.

Ms Masebo held a series of consultative meetings with various stakeholders at which several issues were tabled ahead of UNWTO general assembly next year.

The stakeholders she met during her three-day visit included Livingstone Tourism Association (LTA) members, Livingstone City Council (LCC), members of the business community, representatives of street vendors, artists, curio traders, border staff and money changers among others.

She was accompanied by Vice President’s wife Charlotte Scott, her deputy David Phiri, her permanent secretary Charity Mwansa, Southern Province Minister Obvious Mwaliteta, ZTB managing director Felix Chaila, Livingstone town clerk Vivian Chikoti, officials from the Ministry and Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA), Bank of Zambia and other senior Government officials.

Other notable personalities who joined her entourage included former tourism minister and current Livingstone International University of Tourism Excellence and Business Management (LIUTEBM) vice chancellor Patrick Kalifungwa as well as former ZTB chairperson Errol Hickey. 

During her meetings with various stakeholders, Ms Masebo emphasised that preparations for the UNWTO general assembly should be as an academic exercise but a process which was all-inclusive and embraced ordinary people of Livingstone.

Speaking on arrival at Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula International airport, Ms Masebo said it was important that ordinate people of Livingstone participated in the UNWTO general assembly preparations as opposed to making the process as an academic exercise.

She said although her predecessor Given Lubinda, LTA and LCC had done a lot of preparatory works towards the co-hosting of the UNWTO, what was missing was the aspect of taking the information to ordinary people in the city.

Ms Masebo said the hosting of the UNWTO general assembly in Livingstone was a grand opportunity for Livingstone City Council and the district commissioner’s office to enhance infrastructure development in the city.

 “To Livingstone town clerk Ms Chikoti and district commissioner Paul Sensele, the hosting of UNWTO general assembly is an opportunity for you to enhance infrastructure development in the city.

If you miss this opportunity, you will not have it again. Someone told me Zambia may only hold the general assembly after 300 years from now when this current generation won’t be there,” Ms Masebo said.

She also directed provincial culture and arts James Zimba to ensure that the provincial national dance troupe and other artists to exhibit their art works at the airport. 

LTA chairperson Kingsley Lilamono said there was need to address security concerns in the tourism capital as the city at times experienced cases of petty thefts.

And Mr Hickey urged the hospitality industry in Livingstone to come up with services of international standards ahead of UNWTO general assembly.

He said there was need for lodges and hotels in Livingstone to jack up and come up with services of international standards.

Mr Hickey also urged the Government to give incentives to tourism operators in Livingstone to enable improve their operations.

In the meeting with LTA and LCC members at the civic centre, Ms Masebo said the street vendors to diversify their business portfolio by coming up with other lucrative income generating ventures as opposed to persistent  trading in streets where the environment is unfriendly.

Ms Masebo said Zambia was blessed with abundant natural resources and that street vendors   could take advantage of such opportunities by producing indigenous products to supply to tourists.

 She said trading in streets was unsustainable and not healthy because streets had no lavatories and other sanitary facilities.

During a stakeholders meeting at Livingstone’s Courtyard Hotel, Ms Masebo said the Government wanted to develop Livingstone into a true tourism city.

Ms Masebo said the Government wanted to work on the infrastructure to boost development in the city.

Ms Masebo said tourism, arts and wildlife had potential to boost the country’s revenue base and contribute significantly to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Bank of Zambia legal counsel Leonard Nkole Kalinde said that dollarisation had been used as way of invading tax in the country and therefore the Statutory Instrument (SI) Number 33 of 2012 which bans the quoting of foreign currency for domestic transactions would be implemented effectively. 

Dr Kalinde said that money from sectors like tourism had not been coming into the county as transactions were being settled outside the country.

At the same function, Ms Scott said that the co-hosting the UNWTO general assembly next year was huge undertaking as the whole world would be coming to Zambia and Livingstone in particular.

She said that there was a lot that needed to be done in the preparations for the co-hosting of the event as it was very important.

“It is a massive opportunity to look at the services and products on offer the tourists. Let’s diversify and ensure that every service on offer is good in Zambia,” she said.

The vice President’s wife said that there was need to market Zambia’s tourism products by using every opportunity possible.

“We have to show the tourist that an elephant in Zambia is better than the animal found in our neighboring countries so that the money can come into the country,” she said.

During the launch of a film which Livingstone as a tourism city, Ms Masebo has said that the film industry was an industry that could have an impact upon the country and society.

Speaking at the same function, Information and broadcasting permanent secretary Amos Malupenga said his Ministry would put up measures aimed at ending piracy in the country.

Mr Malupenga said the Government would ensure that security was provided on productions of local producers.

During her tour of Kazungula border post in Kazungula, Ms Masebo urged ZRA officers to move in the same direction with the Government as tourism also depended on smooth operations of borders.

Ms Masebo said Zambia would be regarded as a disorganized tourism destination if Government agencies and institutions did not collaborate in their operations.

Ms Masebo said Kazungula was a district that had huge investment opportunities but such opportunities had remained unexploited.

 ZRA Kazungula border station manager Mupishi Miti said the role of authority was very critical in promoting tourism as some tourists had to use the borders to come to the country.

Mr Miti however noted that the biggest challenge at the border was a lack of bureau de changes and Automated Teller Machine (ATM) facilities to help the tourists pay in the local currency.

 “The tourist ends up going to the call-boys who are changing money illegally,” he said 

He said there was need for reinforcement of manpower at the border because it was porous.

At Victoria fall border in Livingstone, acting station manager Msanka Soko called for the establishment of banking services to facilitate transactions at the border.   

Mr Soko said the lighting system at the border was very poor and thus putting the lives of tourists at risk.

ZTB managing director Felix Chaila said that the delay by tourists to cross to Zambia at the borders was not healthy.

Mr Chaila said there was need to speed up clearance at the borders so that tourists could be clearly quickly.

During Ms Masebo’s visit in Mwandi at Senior Chief Inyambo Yeta’s palace in Sesheke district of Western Province, the traditional leader said that his chiefdom and that of Chief Sekute of Kazungula District in Southern Province would soon embark on the establishment of Simalaha conservancy which was a collection of animals.

Senior Chief Yeta said the two chiefdoms were waiting for Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) to let them know when they would get the animals saying ZAWA had been supportive.

During her tour of Katima Mulilo border in Sesheke, Ms Masebo expressed shock at the failure by the Road Development Agency (RDA) to construct a three kilometer road that connects to Katima Mulilo one stop shop border on the Zambian side.

Ms Masebo said that the road would not gobble a lot of money compared to the facility that had already been established at the border.

She also urged money changers to legalise their business by forming a cooperative instead of doing illegal business in the country.

Immigration officer in charge Simunji Munengo said if his department had enough man power, they would be ready to go up to 24 hours of working at the border but they couldn’t do so currently because manpower was below the establishment.

 “We are aware of the UNWTO and we are in support of the hosting the general assembly,” he said.

Acting station manager Akalilwa Masheke said the volumes of cargo and efficiency at the border had increased.

Mr Mashekwa however noted that some people were in a habit of eluding the border point and ended up being intercepted.

 He said there was need to put up bank facilities at the border as the money changers had taken advantage of the situation.

During the tour of the One-Stop-Shop complex in Livingstone, Ms Masebo said the Government would integrate all the ministries and ensure that they work together ahead of the UNWTO general assembly.

Ms Masebo expressed disappointment at some ministers and departments that had failed to take up their positions at the One-Stop-Shop facility in Livingstone.

Some of the institutions have not yet put personnel in the complex include immigration department, National Pensions Scheme Authority (NAPSA), Zambia Revenuer Authority (ZRA) and Zambia Revenue Authority (ZDA).  

 “We are too slow as Zambians in implementing things. Let’s learn to do things quickly,” she said.

During a meeting with street vendors, Ms Masebo thanked street vendors for being willing to work with the Government of the day and not wanting to be on the streets forever.

She called on the vendors to support and help President Michael Sata to rule the country by cooperating with the Government.

“You should create groups for the youths, women and elderly women, sites have been identified spaces in the market or in the game or sweeping the streets or picking litter on the streets,” she said.

Ms Masebo gave vendors seven days ultimatum to come up with groups and that after two weeks, she would be back in Livingstone to help them on the way forward so that they could be progressive people. 

Street Vendors Association of Livingstone chairperson Patrick Mubanga said vendors were ready to move to a permanent place.

Mr Mubanga said vendors wanted to graduate from the street and engage in tourism as well as other business activities.

During meeting with Livingstone based artists at the Livingstone museum, Ms Masebo implored artists in the country to use their talents to denounce the ills of society.

Ms Masebo said there was need for artists to use their God given talent not only to generate an income but to use it to speak against injustices prevailing in the country.

She said lack of dedication among Zambian artists had contributed to their failure to compete in the international markets.

“Emulate prominent global artists like late Michael Jackson and Oprah Winfrey by believing in yourselves,” Ms Masebo said.  

National Arts Council Chairperson Victor Makashi described the appointment of Ms Masebo as ‘the greatest and important gift for the artists’.

“The minister (Ms Masebo) is a celebrity on her own and it’s only befitting for celebrities to have a celebrity as their minister,” he said.

Vilole Images productions executive director Catherine Musola said the creation of tourism and arts ministry was timely saying it would help revamp the potential of the artists to contribute to the economy.

“We’re humbled and honoured to have a ministry solely dedicated to the arts and this will enable be us considered as billionaires in our small way,” Ms Musola said.

She urged Ms Masebo to ensure that the artists in the region were not left out from the benefits that came with the creation of the ministry.

Ms Musola said the artists in Southern Province have formed a taskforce that would work at perfecting their works in reading for the 2013 UNWTO general assembly.

She also bemoaned foreign film producers who make local productions without incorporating the local actors.

Soon after her appointment as Tourism and Arts Minister, Ms Masebo has managed to warm-up prepares for next year’s UNWTO general assembly and it is now up to various stakeholders to implement that they discussed with her.

End