Ndamu Sandu
4 July 2009
THIS year's Sanganai World Travel and Tourism Africa showcase hangs in the balance following revelations on Friday that the joint partners to the project are still haggling over fees and the venue.
According to a three-year deal signed last year between the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) and Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) company, the annual travel showcase would be held in Bulawayo up to 2010.
But in a June 19 letter to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, ZITF general manager Daniel Chigaru said the company was not prepared to organise and host Sanganai 2009 "because ZTA did not adhere to the terms and conditions of the Memorandum of Understanding".
"ZITF Company complied to the best of its ability, with all the terms of our agreement but ZTA has up to now not paid for use of the venue, stand building system and for time and efforts of ZITF company's staff," he wrote.
He said payment demands had been made in writing and verbally to ZTA since November 2008, but the debt remained outstanding even after promises by the authority's management to pay.
Chigaru said his company will only cooperate if the outstanding "venue and equipment rental for last year is paid first".
He said the ZITF will co-operate if "hire charges for the venue, exhibition stand service and furniture for Sanganai 2009 are paid upfront".
Chigaru said ZTA should organise and manage the exhibition while ZITF management co-operates in providing the venue, equipment and necessary manpower to service the hired facilities.
"We appreciated and welcomed our involvement in organising and managing Sanganai 2008 and indeed we still do, however ZITF company cannot support ZTA in this regard without any financial benefit to it," Chigaru said.
The move to switch venues for Sanganai 2009 has irked senior politicians in the region who feel that it is being marginalised in terms of hosting national events and political heavyweights have joined the fray.
The politicians are said to be insisting that this year's travel show should be held in Bulawayo.
According to the agreement hammered out last year, ZTA were supposed to pay ZITF a facility fee of US$168 265 in Zimbabwe dollars at an exchange rate set by ZITF's bankers on the date of payment.
ZTA paid the money but because of changes in the exchange rates, ZITF said the authority should pay more.
As a result, ZITF says ZTA owes them US$123 000 and for Sanganai to be held in Bulawayo the money has to be settled on top of a US$168 000 payment upfront for this year's edition.
Sanganai 2009 runs from October 14-18.
As a result of the impasse, ZTA has reportedly settled for Exhibition Park in Harare.
Ironically when ZTA settled for ZITF grounds last year, they said Showgrounds did not meet their standards.
ZTA chief executive officer, Karikoga Kaseke was said to be in South Africa on World Cup business when this paper sought his comment on Friday.
A senior official at ZTA confirmed the impasse but said "as to the best of our knowledge the authority does not owe them (ZITF) anything".
The executive said ZTA had clinched a deal with the Zimbabwe Agricultural Society for the use of the Exhibition Park because the authority "had no option but to look for alternatives."
Asked whether ZAS would meet their standards this time around, the executive said: "We are happy with the level of improvements taking place and if they do what they promised we think we will get somewhere closer to what we want."
Chigaru could not be reached for comment on Friday as he was said to be attending a board meeting.
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