The Zambia Tourist Board (ZTB) has welcomed the dispatching of police officers to Livingstone following increased crime in the tourist capital.
ZTB board chairperson Errol Hickey said increased crime in the tourist capital is threatening the tourism industry hence the need to purge out criminal elements in the area.
Mr. Hickey told ZANIS in Lusaka today that the move by the Inspector general of police Ephraim Mateyo to dispatch a platoon of police officers is commendable as it will restore the peace that the city has enjoyed in the past.
Meanwhile, the ZTB chairperson has urged councils in the country to ensure that guest houses and other hospitality houses are licensed adding that a lot of them are currently operating illegally and promoting prostitution.
Mr. Hickey said his board is not capable of policing hospitality houses regularly as it is the mandate of councils to ensure that hospitality houses have appropriate operating licenses adding that those failing to comply should be closed down.
He explained that ZTB has now a new mandate to market and promote tourism in the country both at home and abroad.
Mr. Hickey added that some of its mandates such as licensing of players in the hospitality industry will now be done by the ministry of tourism.
His comments follow an appeal from the immigration department after a combined team of Zambia Police Service and Immigration Department raided Livingstone guest houses and other hospitality houses and sent back 60 suspected Zimbabwean sex workers to their country of origin.
And Mr. Hickey has announced that ZTB will in partnership with Tourism Council of Zambia (TCZ) be attending an Indaba in Durban South Africa from 8th to 11 May this year for car hire operators, lodges and other tourism industry players.
He said the indaba will be the largest tour exhibition in Africa and will attract tourism stakeholders from across the continent.
Mr. Hickey also disclosed that Zambia is among four countries that have been nominated in Africa for the best operating tourism board category at the forthcoming tour exhibition in Durban.
He said ZTB is proud of the nomination because it is a milestone and indicator of the board’s operations and achievements since it tenure of office.
Other countries in the same category are Malawi, Namibia and South Africa.
And a combined team of Zambia Police Service, Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) and Immigration Department yesterday conducted a crack down operation and apprehended several suspects for various offenses in Chililabombwe’s PP Zambia compound.
Immigration Department Public Relations Officer Mulako Mbangweta told ZANIS in Lusaka today that the suspects were arrested for offences ranging from drug abuse, illegal possession of fire arms and illegal migration into the country.
Ms. Mbangweta said among those arrested in the same compound are 27 Congolese, two Tanzanians and a Mozambican.
She added that 46 Zambians were later released after they produced legal documentation to prove they were Zambians.
Ms. Mbangweta said 38 others are still in custody as suspected prohibited immigrants as they have not produced legal documentation to explain their presence in the country.
The immigration department spokesperson has since cautioned Zambians and foreign nationals to move with legal documentation to in order to avoid unnecessary detention once they are questioned of their nationality.
She has however commended Zambians for being vigilant and patriotic in reporting suspected illegal immigrants and activities.
Meanwhile, Ms. Mbangweta has also urged councils in the country to regularly patronize guest houses in order to ensure that they are not harboring illegal immigrants and other illicit activities such as prostitution.
She said city and district councils have an important role to play in ensuring that sanity prevails in districts and cities across the country by ensuring that institutions under their patronage operate within the confines of the law.
Ala mwandi am surprised that the so called chairman can now come up in arms to thank the Cops when innocent tourists and citizens of Livingstone cried out aloud. The Board should have been the first to address this issue to protect the tourist capital. Anyway they are used, no wonder they are “dily-darling” on the restructuring of the Board!!!!!!!!!!
Am surprised that there is a chairman at ZTB!The very essence of their existence was robbed,their pockets picked without action being taken. But ridding L/stone of the prostitutes alone will not help in reducing crime, lets take measures to protect our source of forex.A board should immediately be constituted at ZTB especially that there is the mammoth task of sellimg Zambia as a tourist destination. Very soon Zimbabwe will awake from slumber and reclaim their tourists that we have hijacked because of ZIMBABWES WOES. Mind you they got superior infrustructre than we do.
# 1 and # 2 i am with you on this one. The Board which is there should surely wake up from it’s slumber or else we will never reach our intended expectations.
I hear the so called chairman of ZTB is on South African Airways in Busuness Class enjoying a Glass of champ@#$n on his way to South Africa for a tourism exposition which the Board always attend yearly and yet they fail to organise one themselves. Shame!!!!!!!!!!!
All all you that are making very negative comments about the ZTB and it’s chairman obviously know very little of what is going on. Having grown up in Zambia and currently living in the US, I have seen a great leap forward achieved by the compared to previous people in the past. They created a longterm plan which is well on track. Remember that they inherited a mess and are trying to get the country up to speed in the tourism world.
Also remember that no Tourism board in the world has a police force and security is the responsibility of the local coucils and governments. The deployment of officers to Livingstone was as a result of pressure from several sources including the ZTB.
With regards to the chairman traveling to Jo’burg, remember that first and foremost this man is a very successful businessman and usally pays his own way in travel even when he doesn’t have to. He may have as much champaigne as he wants to. Promotion of Zambia in USA is at the highest level it has ever been since Zambia’s independence, despite the amazing rise in world competition.