National
Obituary: Damian Cook, remembered for his passion for Africa
Damian Cook, founder and MD of E-Tourism Frontiers – a global programme that focuses on developing online tourism across emerging markets – died from a heart attack in Kenya on Sunday (November 20) at age 54.
Cook served for many years as digital/social media adviser to the African Travel & Tourism Association (ATTA) and as a much-valued board director from 2013 to 2018.
Half day Gauteng easy e-Bike with wild game
Always at the forefront of global digital tourism, he worked with tourism boards and organisations around the world, to train and educate tourism professionals in e-Tourism, while at the same time facilitating business across the global tourism industry.
ATTA posted this tribute to Cook on its website:
“Damian’s passion for Africa began at a young age, learning Swahili from a Tanzanian agricultural student when he was at university studying English and History in Brisbane in the late ’80s.
His first trip to Africa was in August 1990 and he stayed for three months travelling from Zimbabwe to Kenya – very much the mirror end of what would be his last Africa trip – Zimbabwe and back to his home in Kenya, where for a night he reconnected with the much-loved dogs and his home in Watamu, filled with art and objects collected from his travels.
Damian was a global traveller and he had friends around the world, but his heart was in Africa and he would be happy that he will be laid to rest in Africa.
He was passionate about the travel community and was a champion for many different issues. His legacy will be working to promote African tourism, particularly online, with recent projects with the Zimbabwe tourism community and the Rwanda Gorilla project. His favourite line #keepmoving hopefully will encourage more travel across this wild and beautiful continent – a place he was proud to call home.
It’s also very fitting that the last photo he posted was flying over the Victoria Falls in a microlight glider.
His lust for adventure and travel burned so brightly, and hopefully that energy will live on in the people and the communities that he worked with.
He will be sorely missed by all those he worked with. Our thoughts and prayers are with Elizabeth and family at this difficult time.”A
According to We Are Victoria Falls, a tourism community initiative, Cook worked in Zimbabwe with the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry and Zimbabwe Tourism Authority on numerous occasions over the years in tourism development, strategic planning and digital marketing training projects, with the most recent being under the Zimbabwe Destination Development Program as the lead trainer on the “Let’s Get Digital” upskilling program for tourism businesses in Victoria Falls, and their market segmentation analysis project.”
“His lust for adventure and travel burned so brightly and it is fitting that on his final two trips to Victoria Falls, Damian did the bungee jump, and then his last photo posted was flying over Victoria Falls in a microlight glider,” organisation said.
“On behalf of the Victoria Falls community, our thoughts and deepest condolences and prayers go out to Damian’s family, colleagues and friends during this very difficult time. He will be sorely missed by all those whom he worked with, and by all the destinations he impacted in such a positive way, including ours.”-VicFallsLive and Daily Southern and East Africa Tourism Update
BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI
In his midterm budget presentation for 2024 , Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube outlined the government’s fiscal strategy to navigate the challenges posed by the El-Nino induced drought, while maintaining a stable economy.
“The fiscal policy thrust and macro-fiscal framework of the approved 2024 National Budget remains unchanged under the theme ‘Consolidating Economic Transformation’,” Minister Ncube stated on Thursday at the National Assembly.
Despite the drought’s impact, the government’s priority is to “alleviate the impact on vulnerable households and the economy, as well as ensuring that the economy emerges stronger and more resilient going forward.”
Minister Ncube emphasized the need to address the elevated food assistance needs of citizens, while maintaining a stable economic environment.
The introduction of the ZiG currency in April 2024 has brought “relatively stable prices and exchange rate stability,” according to Ncube.
To maintain this stability, the government will implement supportive tax and expenditure policies to increase demand for the local currency, complemented by monetary policy that manages market liquidity.
Looking ahead to the end of the year, Ncube outlined measures to protect the domestic currency and restore macro-economic stability. “Containing expenditure pressures and major expenditure heads such as the wage bill and debt servicing will be critical in order to avoid monetising the budget deficit,” he cautioned.
The re-calibrated 2024 Macro-Fiscal Framework projects revenues of ZiG93.2 billion (22% of GDP) and expenditures of ZiG98.8 billion, resulting in a budget deficit of ZiG5.6 billion (1.3% of GDP).
Despite the drought, Ncube expressed optimism, stating, “The current stable economic environment, together with economic transformation and diversification underway, is expected to enable the economy to register positive economic growth of 2%.”
BY STAFF REPORTER
Disturbing reports emerging from Zimbabwe, where students attending a Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) General Council meeting at ZESA National Training Center were allegedly beaten, injured, and arrested by riot police.
Image: ZINASU
“Students gatherings have become a taboo in this country, students are suffocating as we speak‼️Students are not free”ZINASU shared on X.
The Zimbabwe Peace Project notes students also received suspicious calls from unknown numbers.
ZINASU a united front of Zimbabwean students, dedicated to the socio-economic advancement of students and the liberation of students from all forms of exploitation and oppression.
More to follow…
-
Slider2 years agoInnscor launches brewery to produce Nyathi beer
-
National2 years agoCommission of inquiry findings fail to be tabled as Victoria Falls councillors fight
-
Tourism and Environment3 years agoStrive Masiyiwa’s daughter opens luxury Victoria Falls lodge
-
National3 years agoIn perched rural Matabeleland North, renewable energy is vital
-
National2 years agoVictoria Falls’ pilot dies in helicopter crash
-
National3 years agoVictoria Falls bartender gored to death by elephant
-
National1 year agoHwange coal miner fires workers over salary dispute
-
National2 years agoVictoria Falls town clerk digs in, says won’t be forced to resign