MILLICENT HUNGWE
MASVINGO CITY-“Can we not be able to call whites to come to Great Zimbabwe as Chiefs?” asked Chief Mugabe passionately, as he delivered closing remarks at the launch of the Masvingo Tourism and Culture Week held at the Civic Centre Gardens on October 22.
Emphasising the power and responsibility of traditional leaders, he said, “Magona madzokera panzvimbo nekurangarira madzishe pachiitiko chekudzoreredza nhaka yedu — upfumi hwedu hunobva munhaka, chero hazvo chanhasi changa chisina kurongeka ndajumhihwa ndisina kugadzirira.”
Chief Mugabe was responding to the ambitious targets shared during the event by Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ezra Chadzamira’s representative, Clever Chingwara.
“These include a 30% increase in tourist arrivals to Masvingo, increasing average stay to three nights, and boosting per-visitor spending by 40% over the next five years.
“The province also plans to create 5,000 new jobs in tourism and related sectors through skills development, SME support, and investment,” Chingwara said.
Chief Mugabe affirmed that traditional leaders will play an active role in achieving these goals, stating, “If one has no crimes in their courtship, chiefs has the power to actually make an increase in crimes, hence how can we fail to attract visitors. We cannot fail this.”
He welcomed the gesture of involving chiefs in cultural programs, vowing that “next year, huge outcomes are to be seen as we will come in our chiefs’ mood.”
The event which was organised by Chipo Moyana in partnership with players in the tourism industry began with a colorful march from Croco Motors to Civic Centre Gardens, where cultural performances, speeches, and tributes took center stage.
In a warm gesture courtesy of Masvingo Flora, a bouquet of fresh roses was presented to invited guests, adding elegance to the occasion.
His Worship Mayor Aleck Tabe emphasized that this 1st edition event held under the theme “Echoes of the Past, Rhythms of the Present,” the Tourism and Culture Week launch marks a powerful blend of vision, heritage, and unity, laying the foundation for Masvingo’s rise as a key cultural tourism hub in Zimbabwe.
