The Sunday Mail
Sunday Mail Reporters
FOR a long time, the village of Bare located in rural Chiweshe, Mazowe District, Mashonaland Central Province, has been relegated to the backwaters of development.
However, inspired by President Mnangagwa’s mantra of leaving no one and no place behind, Bare is getting a new face, with tourism set to be at the centre of it.
In line with the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS 1) objective to promote tourism by harnessing the country’s untamed potential in the sector, a Chiweshe businessman, Mr Gift Manyukisa, who has received support from the Mazowe Rural District Council, is on a drive to unlock hidden tourist gems in Bare.
Mr Manyukisa is constructing a hotel and a conference centre, while modernising historical edifices to attract local and foreign tourists to Bare.
The project is earmarked to create jobs, boost tourism and promote rural development.
“I am inspired by President Mnangagwa’s vision of modernising rural areas and leaving no one and no place behind. For a long time, Bare had been left behind. Most people do not know the tourist gems that we have in this area.
“We have started by constructing lodges to provide accommodation, as there are no such facilities here. The plan is to turn them into a hotel.
“We are also constructing a conference centre to make it a fully fledged resort area,” said Mr Manyukisa.
The developing resort is located in an area that is of historical significance as it used to be a protected village, popularly known as ‘Keep’ during the colonial area.
Mr Manyukisa said the project includes preserving and modernising the old structures that remain from the ‘Keep’.
“We are hoping that by preserving these buildings that carry the important history of this country, we can be able to attract visitors and also safeguard the rich history of this country.”
Mr Manyukisa said several places in Chiweshe are rich in terms of culture and history. They were significant during the liberation struggle, he added.
“This area bears many myths and tales of comrades during the liberation struggle. Many places are sacred but with the guidance of our traditional leaders, we can explore them and relate their beautiful stories to tourists. We have caves like Bandye, which, up to today, tell the history of our struggles for liberation.
“Bare was also home to the late Prophet Amicho, who was famous countrywide for his rain-making ceremonies. All his history and how he successfully carried out his rain-making ceremonies are available here in Bare.”
An elder from the village, 84-year-old Sekuru Elias Gatsi, said the resort’s location is of special historical significance, as it was one of the first protected villages set up by the colonial government.
“After the intensification of the liberation struggle in 1974, this was the first place that the Rhodesian soldiers established as one of their complicated protected bases, where locals were enclosed in ‘keeps’ that had strict restrictions. Today, all the relics of the infrastructure, including the water tanks, pipes and surveillance posts are here. We, therefore, support this initiative to set up a resort that maintains this history,” he said.
Tourist sites in Bare include the picturesque Bare mountain, from which the area derives its name. The mountain is largely made of bare rock and its unique hilltop allows aircraft to land. The mountain is also ideal for climbing.
Also, Bare is home to the mystic Bandye caves, whose rich history includes relics from the First Chimurenga and the Second Chimurenga.
Other captivating cultural and heritage features in Bare include the sacred Gombekombe mountains, highly revered for its mystic powers.
Adjacent to the mountain is the Chiparamhembe area, which is popular with churches that regularly hold pilgrimages there, due to the belief that it is endowed with healing powers.
Mr Manyukisa lauded the Mazowe Rural District Council for giving the thumbs-up to the resort.
“The council was quick in approving our plan and they made it clear that they want to implement the ease of doing business policy and they will do all they can to support anything that boosts rural development.”
The council’s chief executive, Mr Liberty Mufandedza, said their vision is to see Bare becoming a tourist resort town.
“The Bare area is surrounded by several places of interest that relate to the culture and history of our country. It is a special place that needs to be preserved and modernised so that it can grow as a tourist resort, create employment and ultimately contribute to development of the district.”
Mazowe North legislator Cde Campion Mugweni said development of Bare as a tourist resort will have spin-offs for the constituency.
“This is exactly what His Excellency President Mnangagwa is advocating in terms of championing rural development and the nyika inovakwa nevene vayo mantra. We need to promote rural development by judiciously exploiting the natural phenomenon of Mazowe district.”
Currently, Mr Manyukisa, who has various business interests in Chiweshe, is using personal funds to develop the resort.
He said he is open to working with partners and potential investors.
“I am open to sharing the vision through partnerships that are committed to development. At the same time, I also call upon stakeholders like the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority, the Parks and Wildlife Authority and the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe to pay attention to this project so that we can see how we can work together to preserve this rich history.”
According to NDS 1, Zimbabwe’s tourism industry, which was one of the worst-hit sectors by Covid-19, will witness a rebound during implementation of the economic blueprint from 2021 to 2025.
Part of the NDS 1’s strategy on tourism reads: “During the NDS 1 planning period, the tourism sector is expected to immediately turn around its fortunes, riding on its resilience and its low-hanging status as a low investment and high output sector.”
