adminLeonard Ncube Victoria Falls Reporter
SADC ministers responsible for tourism have resolved to restructure the Regional Tourism Organisation of Southern Africa (Retosa) with the aim of opening skies and borders in Southern Africa.Retosa is a tourism grouping comprising 14 countries in Southern Africa whose common vision is to foster regional tourism integration and growth.
Member states are Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Seychelles, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe – but only three Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe were represented at ministerial level while others sent junior delegates.
The institution was faced with a possibility of collapse since a November 2013 meeting but Friday’s 6th meeting in Livingstone recommended its restructuring, while a meeting to be attended by all ministers will soon be announced.
The meeting also expressed concern about bureaucratic tendencies which hinder opening of skies and borders for the benefit of the region.
Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Walter Mzembi, who will assume chairmanship in August, chaired the meeting and briefed Zambia’s Vice President Dr Guy Scott, representing Sadc Presidency.Dr Guy was guest of honour and officially opened the meeting.
“The agenda was to look at how we can improve Retosa’s efficacy and restructure it in the interest of member states. Since only three ministers are here, we proposed Sadc Ministers would meet in Zimbabwe to deliberate on this,” said Mzembi in his address.
He said they identified three major challenges facing the regional grouping, the first being non-compliance by members in terms of paying up subscriptions.
“We called on all member states to pay and from here they are going with letters of demand and invoices of what they owe,” he said.
Minister Mzembi said the other challenge was that of member states undermining the institution despite being a creation of Sadc presidents through the Sadc Protocol, adding that channels still have to be followed where the Council of Ministers is the one that should acknowledge issues before briefing the Presidency.
He said there was a need to underscore strengthening of regional integration as Africa was enjoying only four percent of the market share because of lack of openness in borders.
Dr Scott said they would support regional integration as a fragmented region would suffer economically.
He advocated for the opening of borders to restore ecological corridors where Zimbabwe and Zambia would not compete for the Victoria Falls but share it.
“Our past has been fragmented. We shouldn’t compete for resources but we should open our borders and I don’t think there is any dispute to that,” said Zambia’s Vice President.
“It is sad that conditions like yellow fever are believed to be from this side of the river assuming the mosquito can’t go across. We should fight for stabilisation, development and change mentality about the region,” he said.
Zambian Minister of Tourism and Arts, Jean Kapata said Sadc countries could not afford to ignore the concept of working together in tourism as the sector contributed more than $940 billion in the last few years.
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