Harare – The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) has appointed Mr Givemore Chidzidzi as the organisation’s Acting Chief Executive with immediate effect. Mr Chidzidzi takes over from Mrs Rita Likukuma who occupied the role after replacing the long-serving Chief Executive Dr Karikoga Kaseke who vacated the post due to illness. Earlier on the state run newspaper Herald reported that Mrs Likukuma has been fired from her position under unclear circumstances relating to the way she bungled the retrenchment of about 35 employees early July. Mrs Likukuma was also accused of breaching good corporate governance with well-placed sources saying she was no-longer consulting the ZTA board on decisions but would deal with the former Tourism Minister Prisca Mupfumira directly. In a press release announcing the appointment of Mr Chidzidzi as the new acting CEO, ZTA however did not give any indication that Mrs Likukuma has been completely divorced of her association to the organisation. “Likukuma has reverted to her non-executive role in the authority’s board,” ZTA said. “Since her secondment, Rita has played a critical role in the development and success of the organization, and while we will miss her in the executive structures, we believe that her inspiring leadership we will continue to be valuable once again in the board.” The ZTA deputy board chairman Dr Precious Sibiya expressed the board’s confidence in Mr Chidzidzi’s ability to lead the organisation successfully. “In the same vein, I would like to congratulate Givemore for this appointment as the Acting Chief Executive. We as the board are confident in him and the executive team at the ZTA that they will continue to restore the important contribution tourism makes to the economy," she said. Givemore is holders a Bachelor of Business Studies (BBS) Degree majoring in Tourism and Transportation from the University of Applied Sciences, Worms, Germany and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA) in Marketing from the City University, Bellevue, Washington, USA. Chidzizi first joined ZTA as Marketing and Communication Director and rose to the position of Chief Operating Officer of the ZTA, a position held since 2010 interspaced with several stints as Acting Chief Executive. Equity Axis News