Otunba Segun Runsewe, President, Nigeria Golf federation and also president, World craft council, Africa region, has expressed dismay and shock at the death of karikoga Kaseke, the longest serving Chief tourism officer of Zimbabwe who passed away Last week after a long battle with illness.
Kaseke, was also vice president Africa Tourism Initiative, a loose federation of tourism chief executives from Africa formed at the World Travel Market in 2007 with Runsewe, then Director General, Nigeria Tourism Development Cooperation ( ntdc) as president, died at 62.
In a condolence message to the family of late kaseke, the government and people of Zimbabwe, Runsewe recalled the dedication and commitment of Kaseke to dream of bringing the entire African countries together to form a huge bloc in marketing african tourism to Africans and the world.
” Together, kaseke and I were determined to change the perception of African tourism under the African Tourism Initiative. He was my deputy, a very great pan Africanist and tourism giant. Kaseke was humble and unassuming, willing to see through the dream of Africans visiting Africa and taking the advantage of our rich culture and history to change our narratives at world tourism expositions and which we did together across the world” Runsewe recalled with nostalgia
Though the date for the burial of Kaseke is yet to be announced, Runsewe urged the government and people of Zimbabwe to give the late tourism pathfinder a hero’s burial as he gave his all not only to tourism development in Zimbabwe but to the entire African continent which he believed should not play a second fiddle as global travel and tourism destination marketing and promotion.
” I will personally miss kaseke. He was a reliable and dependable partner, a lover of African cultural tourism togetherness. May God rest his soul in peace and give his family and the government and people of Zimbabwe the fortitude to bear his passage. Africa has lost a great son ” Runsewe stated further.
