The Sunday Mail
The late former South Africa President Nelson Mandela at the Harare Agricultural Show official opening in 1994
The Harare Agricultural Show is one of the country’s eagerly awaited events on the Zimbabwean calendar
With less than a month to the popular show, scores of exhibitors are making frantic efforts to make final touches on their exhibition stands while late comers are submitting applications to get exhibition stands.
This is a clear indication that stakeholders continue to take the event as a serious business occasion. So crucial is the event that it is recognised even across our borders. Exhibitors flock to Zimbabwe to participate.
The society’s head of public relations department, Ms Heather Madombwe said the annual show is one of the most anticipated events on the capital’s calendar.
While it remains primarily an agricultural showcase, it also provides manufacturers and other businesses an opportunity to advertise their products.
She said following Zimbabwe’s attainment of independence in 1980, the show had continued to grow in scope as the premier agricultural event of the region.
Since then, the Zimbabwe Agricultural Show Society has welcomed many of Africa’s leaders as guests of honour to officiate at this crucial function.
President Mugabe who is the patron of the Society, has over the years invited many foreign dignitaries to officially open the show.
Since 1980, 26 Heads of State have officially opened the Harare Agricultural Show with President Mugabe officiating eight times.
In 1987, the then newly elected President of Tanzania, His Excellency Ali Hassan Mwinyi conducted his first foreign diplomatic call by officially opening the Harare show.
The late former South African President, Nelson Mandela officially opened the Harare Show in 1994 after his release from prison, thereby making it one of his first foreign diplomatic duties.
In 1997, a hundred years after the city’s first agricultural show was held, His Excellency Cassam Uteem, the then President of Mauritius, officially opened the show.
European giants have also graced the show. Lord Plumb of Coles Hill who was the then President of the European Parliament was the guest of honour in 1990.
Five years later, the show was officially opened by his British Counterpart Prince Edward, son to Queen Elizabeth. The Prince Edward Fund was subsequently established from the sale of a bull presented to His Royal Highness.
The fund was set up to support district shows and to assist small-scale farmers to exhibit their produce at the Harare Show.
ZAS went on to pay homage to some of these Heads of state by naming some halls after them. The Julius Nyerere Agricultural Hall which was commissioned in 1984 was named after the late President of Tanzania, His Excellency Julius Nyerere. The Rajiv Gandhi Hall was commissioned in 1986 after the then Prime Minister of India Honourable Rajiv Gandhi officially opened the show.
The Nelson Mandela Hall was renamed after the monumental visit by the late South African and global icon Nelson Mandela.
In 1997, the Society commercialised its assets to broaden its revenue base. The buildings and other facilities are now being hired out all year round to generate more revenue. The Harare Showground became the Exhibition Park and became one of the first agricultural shows in the world to remodel itself to survive economically.
“This has enabled the society to keep operating and ensure that it continues to meet its two primary objectives — the holding and fostering of the Harare Show, the biggest agricultural show in the country and the provision of a facility to serve the wider Harare public,’’ said Ms Madombwe.
The broadening of its revenue base also ensured the survival of the society and the show during the hyper-inflationary era.
The Harare Agricultural Show story is one of the country’s success stories. It is a story of vision, determination and acumen.
