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Patrick Chitumba and Leonard Ncube in Victoria Falls
THE Zimbabwe Tourism Authority yesterday moved to defuse a potential diplomatic spat with Kenya over an internet campaign which paints Kenya as a risky tourist destination, while promoting Zimbabwe’s “good hospitality”.A tweet by a fake Zanu-PF account, @zanu_pf, proclaiming, “White people wanting to visit Africa, don’t risk your life in Kenya – come to Zimbabwe for a safe holiday”, went viral on the internet. Kenyan bloggers speculated that it was the ZTA and ruling party which were pushing the anti-Kenya campaign.
Kenya, which is battling a terrorism menace, is represented at the ongoing Routes Africa Strategic Forum in Victoria Falls.
The ZTA was forced to call for press conference, which was attended by the East African country’s tourism authority’s chief executive officer, Michael Riwungu, at which it denounced the Twitter campaign.
ZTA chief executive officer Karikoga Kaseke said the tweet bordered on political mischief, insisting that the government of Zimbabwe and Zanu-PF had nothing to do with it.
“We enjoy very cordial relations with Kenya, and we have no business sponsoring such a campaign which is based on mischief. We have gone through very difficult situations in our recent history, more than Kenya and so we can’t do that,” said Kaseke.
“Our relations are so good that even our President was invited to the inauguration of President Uhuru Kenyatta. This is cheap politicking. We sympathise with Kenya on that note and we have had very vital relations for a long period.”
Kaseke said it was “an insult to ZTA especially when we are going to magical Kenya expo in October”, adding: “In fact as part of our solidarity with Kenya, I’m going to address a joint press conference in Nairobi next week.”
Riwungu, responding, said: “We both have a very magnificent product. So naturally it came as a very big surprise to us. The challenge we’re having is a global challenge and we’re having a very resilient campaign programme.
“We’ve confidence on our destinations and we are still in business, but unfortunately the social media can have a very bad effect.”
Online Reporter