Experience Zimbabwe Issue 1- 2016 by PRIME MEDIA AFRICA

Experience

ZIMBABWE ISSUE 1, 2016 US$3 INCL VAT

Zimbabwe:

Miracles and wonders

On safari in Zimbabwe

â&#x20AC;&#x201C; With poachers turned gamekeepers

CONTE CONTENTS

Contents 4 & 5 Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Note

Zimbabweâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fading masterpieces

Zimbabwe: land of miracles

On safari: From Poaching to Game keeping

Is the Victoria Falls drying up?

Tourism and the war on terror: Unique perspective by a sitting minister of tourism 32 Zim Tourism picking up

Tourism set to hit 2020 target

Tourism and Natural Treasures

ENTS 5

ZIMBABWE MINING & ENERGY REVIEW MAGAZINE ISSUE 1, 2016

EDITOR From the

EDITOR

2015 ended on a high note for the charismatic Tourism Minister Walter Mzembi. Could this be another cap for the country? Yes it is. Congratulations on the achievements. I see this as an opportunity for operators in the industry to take advantage of the wave and promote the country. By the way, look out for the Minister’s insights on tourism and the war on terror on page 32. 2016 is a year with a difference and some are already taking advantage. The Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA) has a calendar outlining events for the year. This gives the traveller insight of all events and to plan accordingly. There is a new approach taken by the Ethiopian government to use culture and God given natural resources as one tool to fight against poverty. Ethiopia is known as one country in Africa where Rastafarianism has strong roots. The interesting development from Ethiopia is that like any other developing country, the country grapples with its fair share of challenges. It is however, the realisation that the natural, God given “assets” that the country has in plenty supply is not in doubt. The interesting aspect is how the Ethiopian government and other stakeholders are using the resources they have and specifically tourism and culture to wage a battle against poverty. Enjoy the article on page 48. Lessons for our leaders to also take note. Folks, from the next issue, allow me to mention that I will focus more on editing and improving our business titles and hand over the baton to the new editor. Don’t miss out on the next issue. Please email me any promotions, campaigns that can give your organisation an edge and a foothold in the market. Until next time, stay safe!

Grivin grivin@primedazw.com

PUBLISHER MANAGING EDITOR Grivin Ngongula

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Zimbabwe’s fading

MASTERPLACES

Long before Michelangelo, Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, Perugino, Raphael and others created their masterpieces in the Sistine Chapel, some unheralded artists were already hard at work, creating their own magic under the African sky.

sing their hands or rudimentary brushes possibly fashioned out of the tails of the animals which the hunters would have downed, they depicted their lives and the world around them. Their names may never be known, but monuments to their artistry live on. Using coloured rocks ground into fine dust and mixed with animal fat among other ingredients, they sent messages into the future.

Zimbabwe’s rock art Dotted around Zimbabwe are thousands recorded sites of rock art, a rich cultural heritage from the Stone Age hunter gatherers and the generations that came after them up to the pastoralists and early agriculturalists. These include White Rhino, Bambata, Nanke, Mucheka, Chikupu, Ponyongwe, Domboshava and Gonarezhou. Kundishora Tungamirirai Chipunza, Chief Curator of National Museum and Monuments of Zimbabwe (NMMZ), says that there is effort to verify and record every discovered site. ‘We have more than 10 000 rock art which were done in the 1960s in our archeological survey of the National Museum and Monuments of Zimbabwe. Most were done through systematic surveys or people reporting of them in their property.Through the paintings the ancient people could express their feelings and even their spiritual beliefs and how they communicated,’ said Chipunza. It is believed that there are more magical vistas waiting for some intrepid explorer to unearth them and perhaps write their own name in history by discovering a hitherto unknown aspect of the ancients at the same time.

Malilangwe Trust Malilangwe Trust in the Lowveld to the south of the country has taken the task to heart and now boasts of 82 sites within the nature reserve. This is the area that contains the super deluxe Pamushana Lodge which hosted Latina musician Shakira during her brief foray into Zimbabwe during the South Africa 2010 Football World Cup. Malilangwe Trust does not only uncover and document sites, but also actively adds to the body of knowledge concerning the secrets of a period obscured by the mists of ages: ○ Five bi-cephalic (double-headed) animals, these are extremely rare, only two other sites are known in Southern Africa. ○ Fly whisks are common in San rock art. It is known that fly whisks were used only during the curing or trance dance. Unique to Malilangwe, is the positioning of the fly whisks on the human figures such as the lower back and shoulders, the reasons for the positioning of these items needs further study. ○ The fly swat positioning around the lower back is associated with swatting away arrows of illness. The protruding belly button on the human figures is highly prominent to Malilangwe more than anywhere else. ○ The figure on shoulders could be the fly whisk, but as of now there is uncertainty. ○ Formlings, of which only two examples exist, are also unique to the whole of Zimbabwe. ○ Paintings of wild dogs – it is uncertain if they are in fact wild dogs, but the dog body shape and big ears lead us to believe

that they are indeed, wild dogs. ○ Animals that are depicted in the rock art of Malilangwe include the elephant, rhino, hippo, buffalo, giraffe, hartebeest, wildebeest, zebra, roan antelope, sable, kudu, impala, baboons, aardvark, ostrich, some kind of kite and wild dog http://www. themalilangwetrust.org. According to scholars, rock art has been found on all continents except the Antarctica but it is believed that Southern Africa holds the oldest dated pieces. The second oldest piece from 8 500 B.C. (predated by one from Namibia) was found in Matopos in Zimbabwe, in the Cave of Bees (http://factsanddetails.com). Some scholars believe that many sites may have been lost to the elements since not all the art is to be found in caves. Many are mere isolated images on the face of an exposed boulder gently fading into history like their makers as the sun and rain take their toll each year. Others have been destroyed through vandalism often perpetrated by children who do not know any better. One such site is in Mvurwi in Mashonaland Central, in the hills at Whaddon Chase School where the rock art has been defaced by countless generations of primary school children making their own marks with chalk filched from the classroom. Even the ancient burial grounds have not been saved. A clay pot on top of what was clearly a grave was smashed years ago.

Preserving rock art With their importance the rock arts have been under the protection of the National Museum and Monuments Act of Zimbabwe Act, chapter 25:11 and this act puts a blanket protection over all these sites and those found in violation of this act are viable to prosecution. ‘Whether recorded or unprotected rock art sites are protected, if anyone defaces, alters, vandalize or make other extensions to the existing rock art in the shelter will be making an offence and is liable to prosecution,’ said Chipunza. ‘As the NMMZ is the responsible authority over all these sites we periodically monitor them and even clean some of these sites, the problem we are facing are that some of these sites are suffering from natural dangers leading to their deterioration,’ he said. Chipunza says the battle to preserve some of the art has been exacerbated by some churches that have colonised sites which they regard as holy grounds. He said the churches tend to vandalise the rock art and any other relics of the ancient ones. Fortunately, there are many more intricate and well-preserved sites that have been preserved and are open to both the scholar and ordinary tourist. Matopos in Bulawayo which also boasts the grave of Cecil John Rhodes is popular with many. Domboshawa, just 30 kilometers out of Harare, is fairly accessible from the capital and sees a fair number of visitors each year. According to Rasmusen and Rubert’s Historical Diction of Zimbabwe, the name Domboshawa comes from the Chishona words dombo (large stone or rock) and shawa. This hill is a massive granite dome containing several shelters with notable rock paintings, including fine animal and human depictions of several different styles with some believed to be San representations

ZIMBABWE MINING & ENERGY REVIEW MAGAZINE ISSUE 1, 2016

We have more than 10 000 rock art which were done in the 1960s in our archaeological survey of the National Museum and Monuments of Zimbabwe. 11

Scholars say that there was a tendency by artists to overlay works that were already in existence, giving rise to the notion that some ritual may have been involved in the painting of Bantu-speaking peoples. Red ochre was a key ingredient in the paint. Murewa and Mutoko as well as Chinamhora and Masembura are also convenient for those in Harare. Mucheka near Murewa, is considered one of the top examples of rock art in Zimbabwe. The deep cave which holds the precious pieces ensures that they will last for many generations yet to come. Chikupu and Chavadzimu Caves are perfect for those wanting to drink deep from Pierian Spring of rock art. Several large caves offer a wide variety of depictions. Scholars say that there was a tendency by artists to overlay works that were already in existence, giving rise to the notion that some ritual may have been involved in the painting, thus rendering the process more important than the result. The site at Chikupu fits this theory as the ghostly overlays are thought to be possibly later additions associated with farmers and rites of passage ceremonies. Nswatugi Cave a narrow v-shaped cave, contains some of the best painted giraffe in the country. The subjects of the paintings provide a clue as to who painted a particular piece. The San (Bushmen) painted themselves as small red people and made their Khoi enemies out to be huge black ape-like creatures (http://factsanddetails.com).

Domboshava, Ruchera, Murewa Caves, Chinhoyi Caves, among others have been turned into national monuments as a way of protecting them and to ensure that they are accessible to the public as tourist destinations. These sites are always manned, and are accessible throughout the year. Entry fees are a reasonable $3. This year, NMMZ rolled-out a project at Mbali in Shurugwi in the Midlands Province, which was sponsored by Unki Mine to experiment on how best rock art can be preserved. NMMZ carries out research and publishes their findings in books and on their website. They also raise awareness in schools to teach the children about these areas, while some researchers from universities come to conduct their research and also publish their findings. Unfortunately, with time, even the best preserved paintings will deteriorate. Chipunza suggests that the only way out is to make sure that what currently exists has been documented and that images of the art are preserved for future generations. Catalogues and stamps have been produced to this effect. But how much more effective, to walk into a cave yourself and read the message left on the stone walls. Who knows, you may just be the one to discover the Rosetta Stone of rock art and give voices to messages left by unknown artists forever silenced by death!

MARIC MARICLES! Zimbabwe, the land of One would assume the swelling crowd of people to be attending a political rally or some function close to it but no. I am even more curious as my view is almost blocked by the jostling from the crowd. BY MONICA CHERU-MPAMBAWASHE

n a Sunday driving on the highway that leads out of Harare to Masvingo – the home of Great Zimbabwe, a marvellous sight greets one before leaving the environs of the capital city. This modern-day wonder is to be seen opposite Zindoga Shopping Centre in Waterfalls, an old middle-class suburb of Harare. Although a structure surrounded by an impressive wall is the centre of attraction, it is not the architectural wonder that catches the eye. Rather, it is the multitude of people heading there. Police officers are on duty to manage the flow of pedestrians and motorists making their way to Walter Magaya’s Prophetic and Healing Deliverance Ministries. Although actual figures are not known, it is estimated that Magaya attracts approximately 60 000 congregants each Sunday. Albeit on a smaller scale, a similar scene can be found in hundreds of other spots in the country. Ornate purpose built centres, rented houses, school halls, hotel function rooms and open spaces have all been turned into shrines. Walter Magaya is currently riding high. From his humble beginnings in the rural area of Mhondoro in Mashonaland West, through his upbringing in Chitungwiza, a dormitory town 30 kilometers from the capital, Magaya has become one of Zimba-

bwe’s richest people. His name is now known far and wide. In 2015, he went on crusades to neighbouring Botswana and South Africa. His ‘Night of Turnaround 4’ event attracted people from all ethnicities and many nations. He claimed that 300 000 people turned up.

A search for fulfilment Surely, Zimbabwe is undergoing a spiritual revival. But why then are media and police reports apparently telling a different story? It appears that base human nature has not been tempered to reflect this new-found faith in Christianity. How do all these prayer warriors then go on to steal, rape and kill, just like in any other modern society? Most of the crowds are not after quenching spiritual thirst, but to get relief from physical, social, emotional and financial pressure. As non-pandemic diseases like obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and cancers increase in every country in the world, they threaten to reverse the high quality of life that development has brought in the past centuries. Illness has become the number one public enemy. And, Zimbabwe is no different. Add the HIV pandemic to the mixture and you have an audience desperate for miracles. As if that is not

CLES enough, a highly competitive world with conversely reduced opportunities makes it all worse. Stress is exacerbating physical ailments and mental illnesses, thus adding to the basket of woes. As a result, everywhere there is a magical solution that claims to take away the problems. Supplements, natural remedies and spiritual healing have all become widely popular. But, for the majority of the people the answer lies in the men (there is no woman of note so far) who can successfully establish large followers who believe in their prophetic and miracle workmanship. Lately, there are prophets who also claim that they are able to elongate male organs, kill people, then raise them from the dead, convert prostitutes into models of virtue, reorient errant husbands to the appreciation of marital bliss, or get you that dream job. The miracles come in trends but the most common promise has been that of economic fortunes. Labelled ‘gosprenuers’ by skeptics, the prophets are now a part of the landscape. A few years ago, only white-garbed apostolic prophets existed. They mostly dispensed holy stones and holy water, and many people secretly consulted them. Up to now, the mainstream media still labels those from this group as ‘self-styled’. But the standard they use to distinguish a genuine prophet from the bogus one has not yet been explained.

The rise of prophets

With top business people, politicians and celebrities flocking to gatherings, the lure of the miracle continues to entice countless souls each Sunday

Recently, there has been a wave of following foreign TV evangelists and Zimbabweans had to rely on imported ‘holy water’. At one time, people were duped by con artists who sold them purported ‘holy water’ from TB Joshua in Nigeria. Some travel agents made large profits from organising trips to Israel from where pilgrims would return with highly cherished bottles of ‘holy oil’. Then, there also emerged Emmanuel Makandiwa of the United Families International Church. Young, articulate and apparently able to work miracles, he soon commanded many followers as people flocked to his services. He then introduced ‘holy oil’, wrist bands, calendars, car stickers and other items for his followers to pin their faith on. Eubert Angel and Passion Java among others, joined Makandiwa to create a new clique of suave and young charismatic preachers. Although other local churches had attracted regional and international followers for years, this crop took the game to new heights. Makandiwa in particular, stood head and shoulders above the rest as his annual crusades dubbed ‘Judgment Night’ attracted thousands including people from beyond the borders. A couple of years later, Walter Magaya stormed the scene. Stories of him treating a man who suffered from mental illness among other miracles soon established him as the man to watch on the gospel charts. He eschewed the cut and polished the look of his fellow prophets and chose to build his brand on simplicity. He drove around in a Mazda Demio and did not don Italian designer suits, favouring the casual look. He also developed a hands-on approach to philanthropy helping to establish himself to his followers and critics as a genuine man of the people. His controversies such as an unlikely alliance with exotic dancer Beverley Sibanda have not stopped his train. Magaya has successfully brushed off attempted competition from Paul Sanyangore or Mbare to firmly remain as the most followed prophet of the moment in 2015. Not to be left out, other local ‘prophets’ have started bottling their own miracle’ oil which instantly rids sufferers of pesky medical conditions doctors would have erroneously declared chronic. The holy oil also gets rid of the feared gremlin generally known as ‘bad luck’ that prevents promotion at work or will make sure that one does not succeed in life. However, the bottled oil apparently removes all misfortunes.

True or false prophets? Sadly, people have lost large amounts of money to some of the prophets. This year, the courts handled two major cases. In one, Eubert Angel was being sued for failing to fulfill his holy promises. It is reported that he convinced a congregant to give up a Bentley worth US$300 000 to the church on the understanding that God would grant the said congregant money to buy three such cars within a few months. In another case a woman inadvertently donated US$32 000 to ‘prophets’ who promised that her ex-lover would return to her. However, such cases have not whetted the appetite for miracles. With top business people, politicians and celebrities flocking to gatherings, the lure of the miracle continues to entice countless souls each Sunday.

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ON SAFARI

in Zimbabwe - with poachers turned gamekeepers By Mark Butcher, winner of Guardian Travelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ethical award for 2014 is helping to rebuild tourism to Zimbabwe by solving local issues in concert with conservation at his Imvelo Safari Lodge

t dawn the bush comes to life. Birds sing, a lion roars and a tiny deer steps gingerly past my veranda. As the first rays of light touch the acacias, there is a soft voice by the canvas and a tea tray is set out. Soon after sunrise, I grab my camera and climb on an open-top Land Rover to set out on the hunt for animals. The safari experience is underway. I’m in Zimbabwe but you could apply the same paragraph to any one of a dozen African countries and thousands of safari trips. It’s a gorgeous thing to feel so deep in the wilderness, with nature in the raw just a whisker away. But what we don’t see, not very often, is the underpinning behind this ravishing image. Who works there? Where does the money go? What, if anything, does the operation contribute towards the preservation of the wilderness it exploits? And how secure is the long-term future of that wilderness? I had come on a trip that offers just that: a chance to see, clearly, what lies beneath. Later that day I am sitting in a Zimbabwean primary classroom with Vusa Ncube, an ex-pupil of the school, who has come back to encourage kids to study hard and become wildlife guides like him. He has a bird book and shows the excited children pictures. When he asks who would like to be a guide they all cheer. One of the girls says: “I want to be a driver!” But when

the talk moves on to attitudes towards elephants and lions, the children tell stories of crops trampled and cows slaughtered. I ask if any of them have ever been inside the park? After all their school lies only a kilometre from the perimeter of Hwange, a large national parkand a key part of the vast Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area, the very heart of southern Africa’s wildlife. They shake their heads. None have even been there. Around a campfire that evening with some of the staff from Camelthorn Camp, I hear more about locals’ relationship with the park, or lack of it. Japhet and Zebra were born in Ngoma just on the park’s border. There was no electricity, a dilapidated school and no jobs. Poaching was the only means of living for many, but that usually ended in Bulawayo prison. “That was very hard,” says Japhet whose poaching buddy had died while they were locked up. Zebra took the desperate measure of walking to South Africa to find work, managing to survive for four years before the stress of being an illegal immigrant became unbearable and he walked home again. “The park was unpopular in those days,” they both say, “There was no benefit for us at all.” Next day I’m out in the bush, searching for lions, cheetahs and wild dogs with Vusa and his boss, Mark “Butch” Butcher. A fifth-generation white Zimbabwean, Butch had spent years as a ranger in Hwange before deciding to attack the conservation

Tourism is the essential ingredient for all his plans, but tourists themselves are still in short supply, with Zimbabwe’s international reputation as a destination only just starting to recover problem at its root. “These villages on the park’s borders have never seen anything but trouble from the wildlife. I’m convinced that we can’t achieve any lasting progress without involving the communities,” he says. In 1998 Butch put his own savings into what everyone said was a doomed venture; he started a company called Imvelo (“nature” in Ndebele) and built a safari lodge, Gorges, on communal land outside Victoria Falls national park and made it policy to only employ locals. “We had a one-year lease but I built it with stone. I wanted the villagers to know I was in for the long haul. I live here too. There’s nowhere else for me to go.” Zimbabwe’s descent into chaos between 2003 and 2008 brought the tourist industry to its knees, but with growing local support, Gorges survived. Now Butch is grasping the opportunity to expand, building Camelthorn deep in the bush on communal land close to Ngoma. Zebra got a job as roofer and his younger brother, Vusa, came along to see. “I saw this brighteyed kid, full of energy and enthusiasm,” says Butch. “I asked him if he’d like to become a guide.” Two years later Vusa is into his final year of study. In the park, beside a strolling herd of wildebeest and zebra, we rendezvous with another team bringing in plastic pipes and equipment. Butch wants to build a new small wilderness camp in a remote area called Jozibanini, which is close to the Botswanan border. “Last year we had a terrible poisoning incident

when 130 elephants died.” It is an isolated spot, unpatroled and vulnerable. The poachers brought poison from the gold mines and dropped it in the waterhole. “These are dangerous times for African wildlife. Believe me, ivory poaching could wipe out wild elephant stocks very quickly.” Statistics from across Africa back him up. Figures fromCITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) for 2013 reveal that about 20,000 elephants were illegally poached, almost all to feed an insatiable demand for kitsch ivory figurines in China. Chairman Mao statuettes are particularly popular. On our way across the park to Jozibanini we stop and visit various waterholes. The park has an estimated 40,000 of them, all maintained by a system of boreholes that pump out millions of gallons of water every dry season. Elephants are everywhere in big herds. Each pump is guarded by two unarmed young locals, one of the most isolated and dangerous jobs in the world. “We bring in supplies for them,” says Butch, “Check that they’re OK.” At one waterhole the pump attendants have built themselves a gym out of elephant bones, relics of drought not poaching. “I want to start a ‘pump-attendant-of-the-year’ prize,” says Butch, “Honestly, these guys are heroes.” In the remote waterholes the men can go for weeks without seeing anyone, their tin hut surrounded at night by lions. “We sometimes drive the lions off their kill,” one of them tells

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me. “But that is an extremely hazardous way to get your meat!” At Jozibanini I watch as Butch and his gang install new pipes for an underground pump and set the water running. Another work gang are building foundations for tourist tents. At night, under a vault of stars, we huddle around the campfire and they swap yarns about wildlife. The ex-poachers tell gleeful tales of gargantuan feasts on buffalo meat. “One time we killed eight buffalo, then drank so many beers we fell asleep.” They are all falling about laughing at the memory. “When we woke up all the meat was gone – eaten by our dogs.” These men were never the type to hunt for ivory or rhino horn but their activities often had tragic consequences. The following evening Vusa and I visit a hide by another waterhole, a sunken shipping container that allows viewers to get incredibly close to wildlife as it comes to drink. We enter in daylight and wait inside. As dusk comes a distant rumbling is heard and then, without warning, an elephant strolls past my head. Silhouetted against the night sky we see a huge bull with half its trunk missing. “See that?” whispers Vusa, “He got tangled in a poacher’s snare – like my brother used to make.” The bull kneels to suck water up, then stands to slosh it into his mouth. It’s a laborious and time-consuming task, but his determination to survive is strong. Having convinced local men like Zebra that poaching does not pay, Butch now fears that a deadlier, more professional type of criminal could move in. “Ivory buyers are easy to find now. It’s a race against time to build community support for conservation.” Tourism is the essential ingredient for all his plans, but tourists themselves are still in short supply, with Zimbabwe’s international reputation as a destination only just starting to recover. Some individuals, however, have made a huge impact: one holidaying Spanish dentist returned with a full surgical team and gave the area its first ever access to dental hygiene. Mark Butcher is hugely proud of that achievement, but he doesn’t lose sight of the greatest benefit a tourist can bring, merely their presence. “Poachers don’t like to be seen,” he says. “This is the frontline where the war is being fought and tourists who get here are like eyes and ears against the enemy.” Back in Ngoma, the village that supplies Camelthorn with its staff, we watch people filling up water cans at the pump. Until the new borehole was drilled, villagers were walking 6km for drinking water while the elephants inside the park had better, more reliable supplies. “That’s the kind of anomaly we are tackling,” says Butch. “How can we expect these people to be pro-conservation unless these problems are dealt with?” Further up the road we are into areas where villagers have yet to see any benefit from the park. We stop at a school, recently renovated by Imvelo, and Vusa hands out books. The children here are just as excited to see visitors, but they aren’t so enthusiastic when Vusa asks if they want to be wildlife guides. One of the boys points to a bird in the book Vusa is showing them. It’s an Indian roller, a gorgeous feathered princess laden with lilac and mauve feathers. “We kill that one,” he shouts in Ndebele, “Lots of them.” “Come back in a year,” Vusa says to me. “We’re going to employ people from here at Jozibanini. You’ll see, these attitudes will start to change.”

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HERE ARE A FEW EXCITING EVENTS TO LOOK OUT FOR IN ZIMBABWE IN 2016 HARARE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF ARTS 2016

HIFA is a 6-day annual festival and workshop spectacle showcasing the very best of local, regional and international arts and culture in a comprehensive festival program of theatre, dance, music, circus, street performance, fashion, spoken word and visual arts. HIFA has come to be seen as an important symbol of something positive about Zimbabwe, unifying socially and culturally disparate groups of Zimbabweans at a time of ideological conflict and political uncertainty and bringing huge audiences together to celebrate something positive – the healing and constructive capacity of the arts. From inception in 1999, the Festival has received recognition for its support of arts and culture in Zimbabwe and is seen as a major contributor to development in this area. HIFA is now the largest cultural event in Zimbabwe and among the eight major festivals in Africa. The next event is scheduled to take place on the 03rd of July 2016. For more information visit http://www.hifa.co.zw/about/hifa

SANGANAI/ HLANGANANI

World Tourism Expo is an annual Tourism Trade Fair organized by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority. It showcases the widest variety of Africa’s best tourism products, and attracts international visitors and media from across the world. The Fair is the successor of Shanyai/Vakatshani, the Zimbabwe International Travel Expo (ZITE) that was held annually at the Harare International Conference Centre. ZITE started as a small expo in 1982 and grew over the years to become one of Africa’s leading tourism showcases by 2007. The past six editions of Sanganai/ Hlanganani were a resounding success and attracted the leading African destinations and major world tourism markets such as South Africa, Botswana, Malaysia, China, Zambia, Malawi, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Indonesia, India, Italy and many others. The editions have seen the whole world converging in Zimbabwe in the form of high calibre international buyers as well as exhibitors. For more information visit http://www.zimbabwetourism.net/index.php/festivals-events/sanganai-hlanganani

VICTORIA FALLS MARATHON

Developed in conjunction with the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe, the Victoria Falls Marathon race is an AIMS (Association of International Marathon and Distance Races) registered event. The marathon race provides a platform for both local and international runners to pit themselves against the best! The marathon race route is fast and relatively flat and is well supported by regular water points and cooling down sections, all ably managed by the sponsors. A full 42.2km marathon race, 21.2km half marathon run and a 7.5km fun run is available. The marathon race route starts in the car park outside the banks/Ilala Lodge entrance, then crosses over the Vic Falls Bridge, briefly into Zambia offering the social runner some of the most spectacular scenery in Africa, the route continues through the Zambezi National Park with some great views of the river, and ends at the Victoria Falls primary school. The Full Marathon is a ‘double loop’. There are plenty of water points along the way to keep you refreshed, and you may even glimpse wildlife! The next event is scheduled to take place on the 03rd of July 2016. For more information visit http://www.vicfallsmarathon.com/

THE ZIMBABWE MOTOR SHOW

Held annually, the motor show features the industry’s leading vehicle brands showcasing their latest vehicle models and services. The ten acre purpose-built exhibition site will provide a promotional and marketing platform like no other. Whether for unparalleled opportunities for business, or merely to indulge your passion for all things automotive, the Zimbabwe motor show is where the Zimbabwe motor world meets… www.zimbabwemotorshow.co.zw

Low Water Yet Victoria Falls Still

SPECTACULAR

After seeing the ‘dry’ Victoria Falls pictures on Facebook that showed sheer rock face with no water at all, Mike and Marian Myers decided to check for themselves…

Is the Vic falls drying up BY MIKE AND MARIAN ON SAFARI

ne Sunday morning (18th October, 2015) we decided to take a walk around the Falls to have a look at the water levels. At eight o’clock in the morning the temperature was already 27°C. The sky was clear with not a cloud to be seen. I had seen the pictures on Facebook that showed sheer rock face with no water at all, and I really didn’t know what to expect. As we entered the Park, we followed our usual path to the left towards Devil’s Cataract past Livingstone’s statue. En route we walked through a dry cathedral of leafless khaki branches towering above us, crisp parched pale straw-coloured grass and leafless brush. Yet the roar of the Falls drew us in and as we approached, very light fine mist-like spay speckled our sunglasses. It never ceases to amaze me how I gasp every time I see the Falls – I can’t help it, it is just so magnificent, the air escapes through an open mouthed ‘huh’. And Sunday was no different. Even at her most depleted, Victoria Falls is looking too spectacular for words. The power of the water cascading through the Devil’s Cataract is hypnotising. I watched in awe as the force of white water descended in waves that were clearly defined. The

river is very low, and the crevices of rock are clearly visible. There is the main channel through which the Cataract courses over the precipice and where water gets squeezed out smaller waterfalls run over the rock face that is usually hidden under high-water conditions. As we moved towards Main Falls, at one of the inlets we had a look back at the Devil’s Cataract and had a momentary glimpse of a rainbow created by the morning light’s prism in the fine spray of water molecules that danced above the crashing water. The drought is evident along the pathway that leads towards Main Falls until you get closer, then there is a transformation and all of a sudden you are in the rain forest. Between large green palm fronds the morning light spotlighted on the red fireball lilies that have sprouted up on the floor. Their bright red stands out so proudly, begging to be photographed. We didn’t’ think to take the umbrella because we thought the water levels would be too low and it would not be necessary. We were wrong. Actually, we retraced our steps, went to the car to get the umbrella, and came back. There was too much to photograph and Mike wanted to keep the cameras as dry as possible.

We are in a drought year, but as the advert says for one of the local beers, ‘the Zambezi never runs dry

The Main Falls is certainly still a very impressive spectacle, even at these low water levels. In fact, now you can get a clear appreciation of how rugged, and how deep, the precipice is. There is clearly a curtain of water and there is also the backspray of rain that bounces up in response to the force with which the water cascades over the ridge. As you can see from Mike’s pictures, it is most definitely very photogenic, and the magic and magnificence of this natural wonder is unquestionably there to be appreciated. Towards the east, at Livingstone’s Island, is where the water starts to dry up. From the Zambian side we watched a whole lot of people in Devil’s Pool which is a natural pool right on the edge of the Falls that can only be accessed at low water levels.

I have a terrible fear of heights and I just almost couldn’t watch them – but they were having the best time. After Main Falls is Horseshoe Falls which, at high water levels, is covered by a curtain of falling water, but not now. And looking eastwards, the rock face is dry with the exception of a few trickles of water that escape over the edge. At the Boiling Pot (another place where I can’t look over the edge – in fact I can’t look at other people looking over the edge), it is mostly just rock face. It is one of the most interesting mornings I have had at the Falls. The contrasts are so evident that they forced me to reflect on the wonder of this phenomenon and the rhythms of nature. We are in a drought year, but as the advert says for one of the local beers, ‘the Zambezi never runs dry’.

Victoria Falls has not dried up - here’s the proof

A number of photos have been circulating on the internet recently showing a very dry Victoria Falls. Some captions have even claimed that Vic Falls has dried up completely. WRITTEN BY PAUL STEYN This is totally untrue. Vic Falls has not dried up, and a ‘dry’ falls is, in fact, part of a very normal, yearly cycle. There is always water (lots of it) on the Zimbabwean side of Victoria Falls, and late in the dry season (October/November), very little water reaches the Zambian side of the Falls. African Travel and Tourism Association chairman Ross Kennedy says: “Traditionally, Victoria Falls is at its driest at this time of year, and often before the rainy season begins, the Zambian side does come close to drying up, with just a small amount of

water flowing over in some places. This is simply because the falls are slightly lower on the Zimbabwean side. However, due to exceptionally low rainfall in the catchment area during the last rainy season, the water level is at its lowest since 1996. The water levels will continue to drop as usual until the rains start in the catchment area north of Victoria Falls.” So rest assured, Victoria Falls still remains one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, and don’t let a few misleading images and captions lead you to believe differently.

TOURISM AND THE WAR ON TERROR:

Unique perspective by a sitting minister of tourism DR. ENG WALTER MZEMBI (MINISTER OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY, ZIMBABWE)

s we advance into the year 2016, people must surely hope that somehow the world will, this year, get a better handle on addressing the horror of terrorism. Unfortunately 2016 opened on a tragic note in the struggle to end terrorism, as a suicide bomber exploded a device leaving ten people dead and 15 injured at the major tourist attraction of Sultanahmet square in Instanbul, Turkey. This followed the recent spate of terrorist attacks in places as far flung apart as Bamako, in Mali, Paris in France, and San Bernardino, California, USA which brought into sharp focus the pervasiveness and deadliness of the terrorist scourge that faces our contemporary world. The Mali, France and USA attacks are apart from the less reported attacks in other parts of the world like; Timbuktu in Mali, Mogadishu in Somalia, Raâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;anana in Israel, Kabul in Afghanistan, Istanbul in Turkey, Abadam in Niger-Nigeria border, Nguetchewe in Cameroon, East Jerusalem, Ariel in West Bank, Geva Binyamin in West Bank, Mindanao in Philippines, Rajshahi in Bangladesh, kimba in Borno State,Nigeria, Huwara in West Bank, Jerusalem in Israel, Kabul in Afghanistan, Homs in Syria, Maiduguri in Nigeria, Madagali in Nigeria, Mardan in Parkistan, Derbent , Dagestan, Russia and Kamishli, in Syria. All these were in the last two weeks of 2015, rounding up a sad year for humanity. I find it tragically ironic that the greatest advances by mankind in fast travel and easily accessible information technology, IT, have also facilitated the rapid growth and spread of the deadly horror of terrorism. Whilst the air bombings of terrorist targets, by western powers, and the carnage on the ground, by various terrorist groups and individuals, have been equally horrendous, it is the response of some polities to the terrorist threat that is the focus of

this article. The nature of that response, and the consequences thereof, are of great concern to us who are in business of travel and tourism. To date some of the responses to the sharp rise in terrorist attacks have been characterised by one theme: “How dare you? We will pursue you, we will find you, and we will annihilate you! We have the power to do just that!” Following the 9/11 incidents of 2001 in the United States , which events saw the emergence and rise of the scourge of terrorism as we understand the phenomenon today, the then President of the United States , George W Bush set the stage for western response to this threat. He declared ‘War on Terror’. That American response to 9/11 has typified the aforesaid polities’ position on the scourge of terrorism, from the 2001 attacks, right down to President Francois Hollande’s response to the Paris attacks which occurred only last November in 2015. Said Hollande, “we will identify, locate and demolish terrorists along with their organisations. We will deny sponsorship, support and sanctuary to terrorists. Finally, we will diminish the underlying conditions that terrorists seek to exploit”. Tagged at

the bottom of this final strategy is a faint ‘We will win the war of ideals’. Today, fourteen years later, the World is still very far from achieving the objectives of its ‘War on Terror’. If anything, we are even further from achieving those objectives than we were in 2001. In 2015 the terrorist conflagration, if anything, has become more engulfing and intractable. The fact is that war, in the classic sense, cannot be waged against organizations that are not a conventional state. Even after the establishment of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), there are still some attacks attributed to entirely independent cells or “lone wolves” Following the Paris attacks, a Paris Prosecutor spokeswoman said eight extremists were dead, seven of them killed in suicide bombings. Clearly, suicide bombing has become a major weapon in the terrorist armament. Now, since the greatest threat posed by hard power is death, the terrorists’ shedding of the “fear of death” automatically renders “hard power” impotent. So, was the War on Terror! Fourteen years after the declaration of “WAR ON TERROR”, one US counterterrorism official commenting on the sophisticated

We will identify, locate and demolish terrorists along with their organisations. We will deny sponsorship, support and sanctuary to terrorists. Finally, we will diminish the underlying conditions that terrorists seek to exploit

There is great alarm over the apparent methodology and likely planning that would have been required to pull off such a series of attacks 36

Paris attacks remarked to CNN: “There is great alarm over the apparent methodology and likely planning that would have been required to pull off such a series of attacks”. It is all bewilderment and amazement following the terrorist attacks at San Bernardino, California, fourteen years after the declaration of “WAR ON TERROR”. One reporter, working on the San Bernadino incident, has written the following on Marquez, the key suspect, “Marquez, 24, is literally the boy next door in this unfolding narrative: He lived for many years with his family in a one-storey beige house directly next to Farook. Both attended La Sierra High School in Riverside, but several years apart. Neighbors say the two young men would spend hours at a time dismantling and repairing cars on the driveway of Farook’s house.” Eleven days after the attack, the number of arrests remained at zero. The scope of the conspiracy remains unknown. The global investigation involves scores of police officers and federal agents from the FBI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the US Marshals Service. They were trying to piece together the history of Farook, Malik, Marquez, the three suspects in the San Bernadino shooting, and any associates who may have known anything about the couple and their terrorist plot.

Implementation and Inclusivity In their style of governance, some powers need to learn from Turkey and place value on inclusivity, even as they deal with persons of different religions, cultures or even races. Indeed during the G20/T20 Tourism Ministers 6th summit, held under the presidency of Turkey, I was so struck by the hospitality of the people of Turkey and the beauty of their tourism product, that it hurt me immensely to hear, some months later, that the product has been hit by a vicious terrorist blow. The “inclusive” approach of the G20, under the Presidency of Turkey itself, together with its aversion to giving excessive publicity to terrorist atrocities, speaks volumes of what the international community needs to do in order to win the battle of minds, and avoid the stalking of fear amongst their own people. In conclusion, I must refer to two recent developments that vividly illustrate my point that there are other frameworks for bringing extremist violence to an end. The first is about the Casa Colacho of Medellin, Colombia, where community women successfully resisted the muchachos (drug-dealer related para-military groups). Here we have a situation where, on the basis of their sense of what is right or wrong, acceptable or unacceptable, a community commit themselves to a point where the threat of force, hard power, is not a deterrent.

We need to take measures that enhance sustainable management of our natural resources for posterity. The most pressing issues we are grappling with today are high levels of wildlife poaching, environmental degradation, and illegal trade in wildlife products

The second incident was in Kenya, where Islamist gunmen of al Shabab held up a Kenyan bus and wanted to separate the Moslems from the Christians, in order to kill the latter. The Moslem passengers, some of whom had given the Christians their garb resisted the move and told the militants to kill them all or leave them alone. Though there were a number of deaths during the incident, the gunmen eventually left. My point is that when humanity stands together, not on the basis of hard power, but on the basis of its humanness, fundamentalist terrorism can eventually be defeated.

About Hon Eng. Dr. Walter Mzembi Dr Walter Mzembi (MP) has been Zimbabwe’s Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry since 2009. Before then, he was Deputy Minister for Water Resources and Management. He has indicated a very clear policy direction for Zimbabwe’s Tourism, highlighting the massive potential that the country and Africa as a whole possess in this sector. He has held, and still holds, several high-level positions in a number of international organizations, including: the Presidency of the New York-based Africa Travel Association (ATA). He currently sits on the International Advisory Board of the Berlin based Institute of Cultural Diplomacy (ICD). A major highlight of his career as Tourism Minister was the successful lobbying and hosting by Zimbabwe and Zambia of the 20th Session UNWTO General Assembly in 2013 which he steered, leading to his election as UNWTO Regional Commission for Africa (CAF) Chairperson. Dr Mzembi currently holds the same position of Chairmanship of CAF following his unanimous re-election to the same during the 21st UNWTO General Assembly held in Medellin, Colombia in 2015. Minister Mzembi has a passion for wildlife conservation and has contributed to the current UNWTO thought on the issue. He holds BBS and MBA degrees from Azteca University in Mexico. He has just been awarded a doctorate by Aldersgate University College following submission of a thesis entitled ‘An Exploratory Study of Conservation Management in Zimbabwe: A Governance Perspective’. Dr Mzembi is a Registered Professional Engineer with the Engineering Council of Zimbabwe, a Fellow of the Zimbabwe Institute of Engineers and a Member of the Engineering Institute of Zambia. Walter is a sought after speaker at home and abroad, accredited by the prestigious London Speakers Bureau. A recipient of numerous national and international accolades and awards amongst them African Tourism Minister of the Year (2011), Public Service Manager of the Year (2012, Zimbabwe Institute of Management), he was recognised as Honorary Academician of the Bucharest-based European Council on Tourism and Trade Academy (2014). He twice voted Best Minister of the Year by an independent Zimbabwean national daily newspaper (2012 and 2013).

VACANCY EDITOR

Prime Media Africa Publishing Group is seeking a Tourism, Travel and Lifestyle Editor to create, manage and edit all tourism, travel and lifestyle content for the Experience Zimbabwe Magazine. The Editor will be responsible for commissioning cutting-edge tourism, travel and lifestyle content. This person will need to have a near super-human grasp of the tourism, travel and lifestyle industry and what information travellers are looking for, and be able to navigate with a large volume of content. This position reports to the Managing Editor. Roles and Responsibilities • Submit, Commission, edit, copy-edit all content for the Experience Zimbabwe • Head up an ambitious editorial calendar to expand tourism, travel and lifestyle content in the Experience Zimbabwe Magazine in relation to market demands • Ensure Experience Zimbabwe brand is represented consistently in all content • Keeping up to date with market trends, changes in the tourism, travel and lifestyle industry Qualifications • Exceptional knowledge of travel industry • Excellent editing and copy-editing skills • Knowledge of commissioning process • Understands tourism, travel and lifestyle market trends • Experience in journalism To apply please submit the following to info@primediazw.com now: • CV • A cover letter • Three relevant writing samples • A 500 to 1,000 word essay about how tourism, travel and lifestyle content needs to adapt over the next five years to stay relevant in today’s world • An unpublished 500 to 800 word travel article on a subject of your choice that would be suitable for Experience Zimbabwe Magazine Applications without an essay will not be considered. Why work for Prime Media Africa Publishing Group? Our brands especially the Experience Zimbabwe Magazine is gaining attention globally as a forerunner in the tourism, travel and lifestyle industry. Joining the team at this point of growth will enable you to shape the future of travel and media industries.

ON SAFARI IN ZIMBABWE:

a country in search of tourism Zimbabweâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s troubles scared tourists away, but tour operators are pushing it again. Is travel there rewarding, asks Kevin Rushby, and is it right?

ay squats down and inspects the tracks carefully, his rifle held in the crook of one arm. “These are from yesterday,” he says, pointing to where the fine dusty edge of the print has been blurred by the breeze. “It’s a big male – very big. The one we heard roaring just before dawn.” That was an hour ago. I glance around the silent trees, half expecting to see a big cat staring back at me. Ray gets up and searches the ground nearby. “Looks like there are two lionesses with him,” he says. We walk on through the dry forest. At a glance the area looks dead, but closer inspection reveals signs of recovery: green shoots are appearing, the trees are gambling on rain coming soon. Ray leads on for about a mile then stops and inspects another lion print. This time the track is fresh. There is a stiff breeze blowing but the print is perfect. Ray nods and says: “They were moving around this morning.” He glances at me. “Remember the rules. Stay with the gun. Never run.” I was wondering how I could politely ask: “Are you a good shot?” But I knew the answer: all guides in Zimbabwe are great shots. It’s part of their training, an apprenticeship that consistently produces top wildlife guides who are supremely competent in those awkward social moments, like a lion charge. In Ray’s case, I knew he had spent his life handling such tricky situations, having been born and brought up in this place: Hwange national park. It’s a giant of a reserve, 5,400 square miles, bigger than Yorkshire or the state of Massachusetts, but just one element in a vast ecosystem that extends into Botswana, Namibia and southern Angola. We move on again. The bush is thicker and visibility at times down to as little as 10 metres. Then we come to a small clearing. “They slept here,” whispers Ray. He kneels down by a patch of wet, sandy earth – lion urine – and sticks his finger in to take the temperature. “They are very close.” He stands and finds the cats’ trail leaving the clearing. We follow it. Then we see the dead buffalo, a female lying in the shade of a tree. Its eyes have been pecked out, but it has yet to be disembowelled. Ray touches the carcass. “Cold.” He frowns. “It can’t have been killed last night: the birds wouldn’t have got to the eyes yet. But if it was the night before last, why have they eaten so little?” I’m standing, camera at the ready. There are fresh tracks all around us. I feel like I’m watching a chef who is about to whip open the oven door: “Voila! It’s ready!” All the ingredients in place for a feast of lion-watching – or maybe just a feast. Who is the masterchef here: is it Ray, or the lion? Three of them against two men and one gun – which is not with me, thankfully, but I do wish I’d brought something resembling a weapon. Will a Canon EOS 7D camera block up a lion’s mouth? I’d arrived in Zimbabwe expecting surprises and with lots of questions. This was a country that had gone from being the bread basket of southern Africa to a basket case in a few short years. The catalogue of disasters was damning: thousands of villagers in Matabeleland had been slaughtered; white farmers had been terrorised and robbed; thousands of black farmworkers had lost their homes and jobs; the economy had been ruined and much of the population had fled abroad. Now there was talk of a recovery and a tourist influx but in the face of such an indictment, I asked myself, should anyone go to Zimbabwe?

When there were no tourists,’ said another, ‘I never knew if my family would eat’ No sooner had I arrived than I was asking that same question to everyone I met. The replies were always frank. “It’s different now,” one man told me. “We have a power-sharing government. Tourists should definitely come,” he said. “When there were no tourists,” said another, “I never knew if my family would eat.” Others honed in on underlying issues. “How much of your money actually goes to the government? I’ll tell you – just the $55 visa fee.” And, of course, land redistribution came up: “It had to be done,” was a common refrain. “The British stole it, then sold it to each other and thought that was all fine. But the land seizures … aish!” That sound: aish, you hear it a lot in Zimbabwe when words are inadequate. When people talk about the period between the 2002 and 2008 elections, you hear it constantly. This was a time when visitor numbers nosedived. Zimbabwe’s market share of African tourism had peaked in the 90s at around 8% but that halved in five years. In Hwange the total number of permanent safari lodges and seasonal camps fell from around 35-40 into single figures. Tour operators in the UK had difficult decisions to make. “We kept Zimbabwe in our brochures,” says Chris McIntyre of Expert Africa. “It was important – especially for the small, owner-run operations that we’d known for years – to show them that we wouldn’t abandon them in the bad times and that we took our responsibilities to them seriously.” Out in the country I found that loyalty did not go unnoticed. “We had so few tourists,” said one man who had kept his job, “But those few kept us alive.” When people say such things, the true significance of a decision to boycott a country sinks in. “For evil to prevail,” one black Zimbabwean hotel owner told me, “it only needs good men to do nothing.” These people, I thought, see tourism as something with real economic and moral power, something that can have a significant and beneficial effect on Zimbabwe’s future. So, I am standing there, an hour after first light, watching

Ray dip his finger in a dead buffalo, one that belongs to a lion pride that is undoubtedly only metres away. And I start grinning because I had never asked the question: “Is Zimbabwe safe?” And if I had, it would have been with people in mind: angry war vets, baton-wielding police, violent mobs. Any safety threat, I’d imagined, would come charging at me in a uniform, not a sandy yellow fur coat with canines as long as my hand. Why hadn’t I thought of that? Because the short-term political world distracts us from the deeper, more eternal questions of the natural order, questions such as: am I about to become a feline breakfast? Ray motions with his rifle and moves off. I follow. It is almost impossible to be silent in these dry leaves but fortunately the lions have left a big dusty trail. We walk in their footprints. Then suddenly Ray is pointing. “There!” I catch sight of a lioness’s backside, then a few flickers of straw-coloured bodies through the trees. Through one gap, a face pauses momentarily. My gaze connects for an instant with a pair of sombre, yellow eyes, then they are gone. We set off in pursuit, but after a few minutes Ray stops. “They got spooked. We’ll never catch them now.” I hadn’t expected that: the king of the jungle to be afraid of us. But Ray nods. “Sometimes they will sit, rarely they ill charge, but usually they run away.” It doesn’t matter to me. I’m elated. Seeing lions on foot is an adrenaline-charged pleasure even when very brief. We decide to call off our lion hunt and go find some breakfast back at Somalisa Camp. A tented site, Somalisa is built with minimal impact under a bunch of tall acacia trees that spread between two waterholes. At each there is a small pool, not more than three metres across protected by a shallow moat. As the heat of the day fades, elephants come to both. Once there they drop their trunks in, suck up water, and then pour it down their throats. The particular experience here, however, is to slide into the pool and sit quietly in the water, the vast animals looming overhead as the evening comes. After their drink the giants stroll off through the camp – there is no fence.

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Zimbabwe Tourism set to hit

2020 TARGET

The tourism industry in Zimbabwe is one of the sectors that have been identified to contribute significantly to the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economic turnaround. BY SANDRA MUYAMBO

he tourism industry in Zimbabwe is one of the sectors that have been identified to contribute significantly to the country’s economic turnaround. With an array of tourist attractions, competitive infrastructure, fair climatic conditions among other advantages, observers have said the country’s target to generate US$5 billion by the year 2020 through Tourism is achievable. In 2014 Zimbabwe generated US$824 million from over 1, 9 million tourists that visited the country. Statistics from the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority show that tourist arrivals increased by 7% I n the first half of 2015 from 867 163 to 930 276. Local media in Zimbabwe quoted ZTA Head of Planning and Investment Promotion, Mr Reason Machigere saying the country has the potential to achieve its targets. ‘’At the rate we are moving, we envisage that by 2020 we will have at least 3 million visitors coming to Zimbabwe for the purpose of Tourism. In fact, we have the potential to achieving visitors beyond that figure if certain grey areas are addressed,” he said. Some of the areas that the tourism industry have identified include the 15% Value Added Tax levied on foreign travellers they say makes the country more expensive as compared to other to its neighbours. The use of the US Dollar has also been cited as another

hindrance given the manner the greenback has strengthened against other countries. The country has also been urged to be aggressive in marketing Zimbabwe as a tourist destination through engaging major International airlines to introduce direct flights to the country. At its peak in 1999, at least 49 International airlines flew direct to Harare International Airport but the figure declined due to negative publicity on Zimbabwe in its diplomatic stand-off with Western countries over land reforms. Zimbabwe Council of Tourism President, Mr Francis Ngwenya recently said it was also important that the attractions dotted around the country, be marketed in the same manner as the Victoria Falls. “Apart from Victoria Falls which is dubbed the prime resort, we also have numerous attractions throughout the country, that if marketed properly would also ensure the growth of the industry,’’ he said. Mr Ngwenya cited the scenic Eastern Highlands, an area noted of its great beauty which include the Vumba Botanic Gardens and the Nyanga region of mountains, waterfalls and trout streams. He also mentioned the Great Zimbabwe and Kariba as some of the places that have huge potential to boost tourism. “We have abundant resources countrywide that have not been exploited to benefit the Tourism sector. The main focus has been on the Victoria Falls but we could market other tourist attractions to benefit the whole country,’’ Mr Ngwenya added. Last year the Zimbabwe government launched a new National Tourism Policy aimed at promoting the country as a safe tourist destination especially in rising economies like Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The policy also seeks to promote the participation of women and youths in the tourism sector and came on the backdrop of the conferment on Zimbabwe of being the World’ s best tourism destination for 2014 by the European Council for Travel and Trade. The conferment followed the successful co-hosting of the UNICEF Nations World Tourism Organisation General Assembly with Zambia in 2013. Zimbabwe source markets have been dominated by Western Europe and South Africa and the Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Mr Walter Mzembi has stressed the need to explore non-traditional markets to increase the revenue base. He also suggested some amendments to certain visa regulations. For instance upgrading the Chinese visa from Category C to Category B which he said this move would tap onto the Chinese outbound tourism traffic Minister Mzembi also urged the Zimbabwe government together with the community to promote domestic tourism by providing incentives to encourage Zimbabweans to also visit tourist attractions in their country. “We are inviting and opening up registration of private homes and firms involved in hotel and catering management as well as transport facilities that can be used in boosting our domestic tourism,” he added Despite the general decline in tourist global arrivals, Zimbabwe has recorded 3% increase in tourist arrivals last year comparing favourably with Africa’s average growth of 2% as recorded by the UNWTO.

TOURISM AND NATUARAL TREASURES

to pull Ethiopia out of Poverty and Famine Despite a cultural, historical and linguistic identity quite distinct from the rest of Africa, Ethiopia never became a major tourist destination on the continent. BY JAMES JEFFREY

ut Ethiopia didn’t appear that bothered or did much to help itself in promoting its treasure chest of tourism gems. Where other countries would proclaim their natural heritage, beckoning tourists to come, Ethiopia chose modesty and hidden beauty. The 2013 formation of the Ethiopian Tourism Organization (ETO), however, signalled a break with this trend and the Ethiopian government decided to take tourism seriously as a means of generating huge revenue for the nation and eradicating poverty. The ETO was given a mandate to “boost tourism destination development and marketing, and enhance the benefits of tourism in a sustainable and competitive manner.” Then in August last year, the Ethiopian Culture and Tourism Ministry made a bold announcement of a target to triple foreign visitors to more than 2.5 million by 2020. The ultimate goal: Ethiopia featuring in Africa’s top five tourist destinations by 2020. “There are many reasons tourism took a back seat but the number one was getting the basic infrastructure in place,” Solomon Tadesse, ETO’s CEO, told IPS. “Now, the government can fully get behind it based on the economic growth of the last ten years, which has also created a good impression with the outside world.” Tourism in Ethiopia generates 2.9 billion dollars for the economy annually, close to a million jobs and about 4.5 per cent of the GDP, according to the World Bank. That percentage, however, trails the likes of Rwanda’s 9 per cent of GDP, and tourism accounting for about 11 per cent of global GDP.

Numbers increasing In 2013, Ethiopia’s tourism industry was ranked 120th globally and 17th in Africa by a travel and tourism competitive index compiled by the World Economic Forum. But for the past dec-

ade an upward trend - admittedly starting from a low base - has seen visitor numbers to Ethiopia increasing by at least 10 per cent a year. During the fiscal year 2014/2015, more than 750,000 tourists came to Ethiopia, according to the ministry. “Key tourism factors such as easy and fast growing air access, personal safety and local hospitality, rapid economic growth and, above all, fascinating discoveries to be made bode very well for rapid tourism growth,” Mike Fabricius of the South African-based The Journey, a tourism consultancy and marketing company commissioned by Ethiopia’s tourism ministry to develop a national tourism brand and marketing strategy, told IPS. And Ethiopia’s tourism industry is looking to foreign partnerships, said Tadesse, to help it achieve this by investing in the likes of hospitality training centres, developing new niches such as adventure tourism - paragliding, hot air ballooning, mountain biking, highland marathons and the like suited to Ethiopia’s diverse and rugged terrain - and expanding beyond the country’s well established northern ‘historical circuit’ to other regions that haven’t traditionally featured on tourist itineraries. “The government has learned that, okay, we have these industries, textiles, mining, energy, this and that - so why not have tourism as another,” Tadesse said. “We know we are behind our neighbours and need to run and catch up.” But catching up with African tourist powerhouses such as Kenya and Tanzania will require “gargantuan efforts,” said Derek Schuurman, an African travel specialist with UK-based Rainbow Tours. While others within Ethiopia’s tourism industry urge caution, arguing Ethiopia doesn’t need to think in terms of catching up, rather should embrace its own unique tourism development model, and that the numbers game misses the main point. “We could become the number one destination on the continent though not only by tourist numbers but for quality of the

Tourism in Ethiopia generates 2.9 billion dollars for the economy annually, close to a million jobs and about 4.5 per cent of the GDP, according to the World Bank. experience and the uniqueness of the landscape,” said Greta Iori, a conservation and tourism professional with five years experience in Mexico, South Africa and Ethiopia, where she grew up.

Finding what works Most of Ethiopia’s tourism treats - including nine UNESCO World Heritage sites - the most for an African country - are fragile and risk being destroyed by hordes of tourists, Iori notes. Another concern is that too rapid an increase in tourists can also lead to cultural clashes between locals and foreigners, resentment toward tourism for benefiting only the elite few, segregation of local societies, spiralling prices, money grabbing locals and increased crime. “Generally it’s up-market tourism that works seamlessly, with the cheaper end that gives problems, and at the moment Ethiopia does not know which way to go,” an individual involved in Ethiopian tourism for more than 10 years said, adding that mass tourism for Ethiopia could put its “golden goose in the pot.” Those holding such concerns hope Ethiopia takes the more sustainable, lower volume option - compensating lower numbers by selling a higher quality product at a higher price while tackling the weak operational state of its tourism industry by ensuring adequate facilities exist for tourists who respond to new, more proactive marketing. This needs, they emphasise, to go beyond hotel investment and development to providing tourist information centres, well maintained public toilets, and official rest sites - providing the likes of restaurants, souvenir shops and medical centres - along major travel routes and around key tourism sites; common in other tourist destination countries but not so far absent in Ethiopia. “Building infrastructure that meets the expectations of foreigners is key, as there is a limit to how much people are willing to rough it,” said Greg Dorey, UK ambassador to Ethiopia. “But the jury is out on whether it can build up the supporting infrastructure sufficiently well, given the huge obstacles it places in the way of foreign entrepreneurs investing in this sector--and foreign entrepreneurs, let’s face it, know better than most what foreign tourists want since their livelihood depends on understanding the requirement.”

Learning from Africa For all the exciting projections and talk of transformative powers, tourism remains a fickle business - especially in

Africa. Just ask Kenya, which has seen tourist numbers decline since last year’s terrorist attacks and travel warnings issued by Western governments, resulting in deserted beaches and thousands of hotel rooms unoccupied. And when the Zimbabwean government announced in January a new 15 per cent tax on hotel accommodation for foreign tourists, the result was a slew of cancelations. “This is a crucial learning point for Ethiopia,” lori said. “If we develop slowly and not at mass scale, the tourism industry will be more likely to cope with unexpected threats to tourist numbers and revenue, making it a long-term steady growth rather than a short-term gain. Rapid short-term development isn’t sustainable and has the ability to jeopardise the success and future of tourism for our nation altogether.” Evidence suggests the Ethiopian government is at least trying to bring brains to bear in how to tackle the numbers conundrum. In addition to ETO, 2013 saw the formation of the Tourism Transformation Council, chaired by Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn himself, and the Tourism Board to monitor the running of ETO. “We’re starting from ground zero, though that’s not a weakness rather an advantage as we have learned from others’ mistakes,” Tadesse said. Therein probably lies Ethiopian tourism’s greatest strength there are still so many diverse cultures, landscapes and wildlife to be developed for tourist itineraries: the Simien and Bale Mountains; the forests of the South; the Sof Omar Caves; the Danakil Desert location of Lucy, the oldest and most complete hominid skeleton ever found, lending weight to Ethiopia’s claim as the cradle of humanity. “This is the land of origins, here you get original human beings - you don’t get an artificial smile, you get an original smile,” Tadesse said. “Make it your travel destination and you’ll never be quite the same again. See you in Ethiopia.”

INTRODUCING 2016 KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

TENDAI BITI

DR. HARRY G. BROADMAN

MAKHTAR DIOP

Former Finance Minister Government of Zimbabwe

Director, Council on Global Enterprise and Emerging Markets and Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy Institute Johns Hopkins University

Vice President, Africa World Bank Group

ROBERT FRIEDLAND

DR. ANIL K. GUPTA

NAMRATA THAPAR

Executive Chairman and Founder Ivanhoe Mines Ltd.

Michael Dingman Chair in Global Strategy & Entrepreneurship Smith School of Business, The University of Maryland

Global Head of Mining International Finance

Corporation

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