— Senior Chief Mukuni advises govt. to transfer Kapata’s office to Livingstone

Senior Chief Mukuni advises govt. to transfer Kapata’s office to Livingstone

Livingstone, June 19, 2014 ZANIS———Senior Chief Mukuni of the Toka Leya people of Kazungula District has urged government to relocate Tourism and Arts minister Jean Kapata to the Tourism Capital of Livingstone.

Senior Chief Mukuni says since Livingstone was the country’s Tourism Capital, it is only reasonable that Ms. Kapata’s office relocates to same town.

“The people of Mukuni belong mainly to the tourism ministry and not chief’s affairs because our lives and economy revolve around tourism.

“  That is why we are in Zambia’s tourism capital and we want the Minister of Tourism to be based here,” he said.

ZANIS reports that Chief Mukuni said this in Livingstone today when Tourism and Arts Permanent Secretary Steven Mwansa paid a courtesy call on him at his palace.

Accompanying Mr. Mwansa included Regional Tourism Organization of Southern Africa (RETOSA) heads of delegations from SADC member states.

And the traditional ruler has advised SADC member states to collectively market tourism , not as individual countries.

Chief Mukuni says there is need for the SADC region stood a better chance of enhancing its’ tourism industry if it started operating like those European Union (EU) countries.

“ In this very competitive tourism industry, if we want to continue marketing ourselves as individual countries, we will not get anywhere.

“  We need to broaden our market, and potential as a tourism destination by operating as one segment. Like that we can withstand big economies like the United States and others,” he said.

“The region should behave like one country; we want people who come to Malawi to be able to get to South Africa and other SADC countries provided all requirements are met at the point of entry,” he said.