from DANIEL JONES in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
VICTORIA FALLS – SOME prominent South African entertainment personalities have called for regional integration and unity among nationals in order to defeat the legacy of colonialism.
First account of Zimbabwe tourism’s recovery, and abundance of what the country offers
Such would also promote tourism.
The South African celebrities- Sello Maake ka Ncube, Sonia Mbele and Pearl Thusi- are part of a team of the True Zimbabwe Tour, which is an initiative by stakeholders to promote the country as a premium travel and investment destination.
The government organised the tour, led by the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services and sponsored by African Chrome Fields.
Journalists from Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe and the three entertainment personalities were part of the tour.
This week, they were in Victoria Falls where they sampled various leisure and tourism facilities.
They left Victoria Falls on Wednesday for Harare where they were to visit farms, mines, Parliament Building and National Heroes Acre.
Ka Ncube said, “I think if I can say something about something that could help us recognise ourselves as one, it will be some story of our interconnectedness.”
Mbele called for removal of political boundaries.
“Let’s be boundless. We are from one continent, we are all Africans. People outside Africa recognise us all as Africa and I don’t know why we divide ourselves,” she said.
Thusi said the entertainment sector can help unite people.
She said remaining as individual countries perpetuates colonial legacy.
“We should use available platforms to unite and co-exist as we are all one as African people,” Thusi said.
She called for sharing Africa’s resources.
“I have always said Zimbabwe, Zambia, South Africa, Namibia are not even supposed to be separate countries. Maybe there can be a slow evolution where countries start removing certain boundaries because maintaining boundaries is like protecting the legacy of colonization,” Thusi said.
“Until we stop seeing each other as people who should compete, and share resources we will remain in disunity. We should unite and work together so that we could be a continent that is revered and a powerhouse,” she
said.
Zimbabwe is targeting to have a US$5 billion tourism industry by 2025. It has been partnering various stakeholders to market the destination.
– CAJ News
