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Mutare Bureau

GOVERNMENT is embarking on a domestic tourism promotion drive, an initiative that saw the successful staging of Save Beach Jamboree at Birchenough Bridge during the weekend. 

In a beach environment, folks in areas around Birchenough Bridge and beyond thronged the picturesque site and were treated to some exciting sporting events on Friday and Saturday which culminated into a night-long entertainment bash where several musicians took turns to perform live on stage.

In an interview on the sidelines of the event, Tourism and Hospitality Deputy Minister Cde Tongai Mnangagwa said Zimbabweans need to have a culture of visiting numerous tourism destinations dotted across the country.

“We are here at Birchenough Bridge not only to enjoy the beach environment here but to market the place as a tourism destination that Zimbabweans and other nationals need to visit and enjoy as well,” he said. 

“The place provides a unique beach environment that is suitable for several sporting events or camping. This is what we need to inculcate in the minds of fellow Zimbabweans that we, as a country, have numerous places they need to visit, learn and enjoy.” 

Manicaland Minister State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Advocate Misheck Mugadza said Zimbabwe has a lot of places that are valuable tourism products, some yet to be discovered.

“It is good that we have people working hard to promote such tourism products,” he said. “You can see we are here at a place that resembles sea shores yet we are in Zimbabwe. We want to move ahead to beautify such places and add value. 

“We want investors to come to such areas to build hotels and provide other amenities that can make tourists comfortable and willing to patronise such places. We are going to have construction of a new bridge soon here because the one here is almost reaching its life span but we all know that  Birchenough Bridge, in itself, is an iconic structure and that is the reason we will not destroy it when construction works for a new bridge are completed.” 

Member of the House of Assembly for Buhera South, Cde Ngonidzashe Mudekunye thanked the Second Republic for living up to its pledge of not leaving no person and no area behind in its development trajectory.

“We are grateful to His Excellency Cde Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa for being a man of his words,” he said.

 “He has said it many times that the Second Republic will not leave no place and no person behind in the development processes and what is happening here is  living testimony of those words in action. 

“Areas such as Birchenough Bridge and the beach environment here were not being given due attention as tourism destinations in the past, but we are happy that Government, under President Mnangagwa, is now walking the talk. 

“Surely, there is no reason Birchenough Bridge, an iconic structure that was constructed way back, should not be known world over just like the Sydney Harbour Bridge. We want Birchenough Bridge with its environs to be marketed and let it be known even more than the Sydney Harbour Bridge.” Some of the sporting competitions that were held include beach cricket, beach volleyball for both males and females as well as tug of war.

Musicians that performed during the event included gospel singer Mathias Mhere, Zim dancehall chanter Jah Signal, Dorcas Moyo, Madiz and Hwenje.