The new UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvi loves football. Worldtourismwire yesterday reported about the appointment of Spanish football star Lionel Messi as a UNWTO Ambassador for Responsible Tourism by UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili after a football match between FC Barcelona and Leganés.

On Saturday the UNWTO Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and FC Barcelona signed an agreement, opening the path to collaboration between the two organizations in the areas of tourism and sports.

In 2011-2011, UNWTO Secretary-General Pololikashvili was the General Manager of FC Dinamo de Tbilisi, viewed as the most outstanding professional football team in Georgia.

Tourism is directly related to international security, communication, and interaction between people. Tourism must have a seat at the global table, and the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is the platform for that within the United Nations.

Exactly a year ago on April 9, eTN asked in an article: How can the leader of this UNWTO platform be elected by a group of country representatives that care more about getting tickets for a popular football game, are following the orders of their foreign minister, and perhaps therefore are not interested in a discussion and exchange, before voting someone into the highest UN official in the travel and tourism industry?

A year later Lionel Messi is officially part of an exclusive UNWTO club of ambassadors, but there is a dark history this star has been trying to cover up.

Considered by many the best football player of all times, Lionel Messi joined the World Tourism Organization to promote the value of responsible tourism. The same man now promoting responsible tourism has been less than responsible when it comes to paying taxes in his home country in Spain.

Spain’s Supreme Court in May of 2017 rejected an appeal by the same Barcelona football star Lionel Messi and stood by a Catalan regional court’s 21-month prison sentence for tax fraud, as reported by REUTERS on May 24, 2017.

Messi and his father Jorge, who managed Messi’s finances, were both convicted in 2016 of defrauding Spain of €4.1m (£3.5m; $4.6m) in taxes.

Jorge Messi’s jail term was reduced because he paid some of the taxes. In Spain, prison terms of under two years can be served under probation.

Lionel Messi, a five-time world footballer of the year, has denied any involvement and told his trial in June 2016: “I only worried about playing football.”

But in its decision, the court said: “It defies logic to concede that someone who earns a large income does not know that he must pay taxes on it.”

Both men were originally convicted of three counts of fraud, for using tax havens in Belize and Uruguay between 2007 and 2009, and were also given heavy fines.

They were found guilty of resorting to fictitious companies to evade Spanish taxes on income from companies using Lionel Messi’s image rights.

Jorge Messi’s jail term was reduced from 21 months to 15 by the Supreme Court to take into account the money he had since handed to the tax authorities.

Dr. Walter Mzembi was of the most known and respected Minister or Tourism representing one of the most controversial governments when he ran as a candidate for UNWTO Secretary-General last year representing the government of Zimbabwe.
The word is still out among many, Dr. Mzembi was the most qualified UNWTO candidate but couldn’t win because of the government he represented.

The government he represented under ex-president Robert Mugabe was on the “ignore and no talk list” for many countries in the world, and after a soft military takeover in November, this Southern African country has a new face.

Elections are in the pipeline and the new administration has been trying hard to silence those involved with the former regime. Many former public servants were ousted from their political party, others were harassed in many different ways.

A report today in one of Zimbabwe’s most followed online tabloids Zimeye suggests that Mzembi may at the end of this week reenter the political fray on the MDC Alliance ticket led by the 40 year old Advocate and former Minister of ICT in the inclusive government of 2009-13, Mr Nelson Chamisa . Speculation is rife that Mzembi may follow his G40 comrades who recently met Mr Chamisa and seemingly have joined the Alliance to try and fight back at the new regime that unceremoniously dumped them after the exit of Robert Mugabe through a soft coup that installed his former vice president, and now President , Emmerson Mnangagwa.

However, when eTN contacted Dr. Mzembi for a comment he denied any talks with the MDC Alliance.

Whilst very respectful of the MDC Alliance President, Adv Nelson Chamisa whom he says he worked very closely within the inclusive government of 2009- 2013, and referring to him affectionately as” my young brother “, Mzembi says he has not joined the MDC Alliance and is not contemplating such action ahead of 2018 harmonised elections.

Joining them is the quickest and easiest route for me to retain my Parliamentary Constituency, but I am not available for elective politics in 2018, and I will not make such far-reaching decisions at this stage.

Joining a political party or alliance is a nuptial decision, a covenant, and I don’t plunge that easily if I go in, it’s irrevocable, so I haven’t made that decision at all, hakusi kuchaya mapoto”

“There are various and numerous political constituents that are are trying to suck me back into politics by default ahead of 2018 harmonised elections ; let me restate that there is no superior persuasive argument to my pronounced position of 4 December 2017, which announced the beginning of an indefinite political sabbatical and a migration into business and more quality time for a family that “missed ” me during my 15 years of public service. Nothing has changed and readers and political followers are urged to refresh their memory by visiting my interview, done with the Daily News on the 4th of December, 2017. CLICK HERE

Dr. Mzembi’s message: I am still on my sabbatical dismissing MDC Alliance association as social media mischief and fake news.