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Herald Reporter
The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) has retrenched 38 employees, saying it is adopting a leaner, more efficient and cost-effective human resource base.

The employees, from different departments and offices across the country started receiving their letters on Tuesday afternoon.

This retrenchment comes after a staff audit carried out by the authority early this year.

ZTA corporate and communications manager Godfrey Koti who initially said Tourism Minister Prisca Mupfumira and acting CEO Rita Likukuma would release a statement yesterday, later said the statement would be released today.

According to Auditor-General Mildred Chiri’s report that was tabled before Parliament recently, former ZTA CEO, Karikoga Kaseke spent 13 years at the institution without a valid contract of employment.

The ZTA also donated $50 000 at weddings, 10 tonnes of maize seed and 50 Singer sewing machines.

The authority spent $4 000 on cellphone bills under the line item “ministry-related expenses”, as well as unbudgeted for expenses amounting to $35 868 in 2013, $154 174 in 2014 and $189 880 in 2015. One of the board members got an interest-free loan of $20 000 while executive directors awarded themselves a monthly fuel allocation of $2 000.

The ZTA also purchased several motor vehicles, including a Mercedes Benz S600 valued at $13 333 and a Mercedes Benz S350 with a carrying amount of $134 000. The vehicles were, however, registered in the names of third parties.