The Sunday Mail
Society Reporter
ALTHOUGH the impressive rock paintings that are a major attraction at Pamatombo Village Recreational Centre are not as spectacular as other rock paintings elsewhere, Harare and Zvimba residents are seemingly falling head over heels in love with them.
Located just outside Dzivarasekwa Extension in Harare, Pamatombo Village houses some of the country’s most stunning pre-historic rock paintings.
Multitudes of Harare and Zvimba residents thronged the recreational centre during the Christmas holidays, proving that this place of historical and cultural importance can be part of an exciting and interesting day excursion.
The rock paintings, the majority of which are in excellent condition, are tucked away in a wooded hillock that is located just behind a very busy and modern shopping centre.
With shops, nightclubs and other businesses a stone’s throw away, the setting mixes history and culture with modernity.
The stunning rock paintings, mostly in solid red ochre, are housed in three meandering caves and depict abstract designs, human and animal figures. On the cave walls are paintings of animals such as kudu, antelope, buffalo, sable and zebra, among others.
The pottery that is in abundance in the caves suggests that they were at one time used for rain-making or other initiation ceremonies.
Apart from the rock paintings and the pottery, the hillock also offers stunning rock views of sprawling agricultural settlements.
From a distance, some of Harare’s high-rise buildings spring into view.
Mr Smart Chimonyo is one of the many people that have developed a keen interest in not only the rock paintings, but the serene, wooded environs. He was one of the hundreds of people that visited Pamatombo Village during the Christmas holidays.
“I came here with my family to relax, mix and mingle and to also learn. I brought with me my school-going children and they learnt a lot about the history and culture of this country,” Chimonyo said.
“Save for the few that are faded and indistinct, the majority of the paintings are still in good condition …”
Apart from being a recreational centre, the place is also a shining model of how best the country can implement domestic tourism projects as tools to fight poverty, generate employment and, most importantly, drive economic growth.
Most people that are visiting this place are locals and those that are coming from surrounding areas such as Harare and Zvimba. We have businesses that are directly benefiting from this centre and in my view, this is the way that domestic tourism should take,” Simon Mutobvu, who runs a butchery at the centre, said.
Mr Ruzai Muchaurawa, whose family runs the recreational centre, gave an account of how Pamatombo Village came into being.
“When we bought this land, it was the hill and the bushes.
“My friends laughed at me and told me point-blank that I was wasting resources by acquiring such barren land. After finding out about the rock paintings and the beautiful caves, I decided to create this recreational area,” Mr Muchaurawa said.
