Media reports have indicated that Minister of Tourism, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, will not be named as the UN’s Climate Chief after being named as a front runner for the position in March.
Instead, UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon is said to have chosen Costa Rican diplomat Christiana Figueres as the new UN Climate Chief.
This may come as a relief to tourism industry stakeholders as they felt the National Department of Tourism wouldn’t cope with losing an experienced minster as well as handling a newly appointed Director-General, Kingsley Makhubela, who was only appointed in April.
The UN is expected to announce its decision in the coming week.
