The Sunday News
Roberta Katunga Senior Business Reporter
BULAWAYO and its surroundings are endowed with an array of tourist attractions which include the Matopo National Park, Khami Ruins, Umguza Nature Reserve, Tshabalala Sanctuary, Chipangali Wildlife Orphanage and various arts and crafts centres among other places. Bulawayo and its surroundings are known for their rich history and heritage. When one hears the name Matopos, a mental picture of rocky boulders which sit precariously on top of each other, quickly comes to mind.
However, Matopos as an attraction is not limited to the rocks or the grave of Cecil John Rhodes but has so much more to offer visitors, as tour operators in the region allude to.
This and That Safaris owner Mr Thembi Dube says due to the demands of the trade, they had to come up with more packages that attract tourists to the City of Kings and Queens. One such package is the Matopos cultural tourism programme which entails a visit to the Silunguzi Hill village located next to Rhodes Matopos National Park.
Zimbabwe’s new Tourism Brand, “A World of Wonders” reinforces and recognises the wonderful people and culture as the first wonder.
Culture creates the country’s authentic and distinctive appeal on the global tourism market.
The others include rich history and heritage which Bulawayo is centred on, the majestic Victoria Falls, Great Zimbabwe, pristine wild life and nature, the mystique of the Eastern Highlands and the mythical Kariba and mighty Zambezi.
“A visit to Matopos is one of our main attractions in Bulawayo and we have since incorporated village tours into our packages considering that our people and culture are the first wonder,” said Mr Dube.
According to tour operators, a visit to Silunguzi Hill entails seeing the bushmen’s cave paintings and granaries.
There are three granaries hidden in three different caves at the village that have been preserved as attractions by the villagers.
Also situated in the vicinity of the village is a cultural centre where tourists are taught how to perform local chores like pounding using a pestle and mortar (ukugiga), winnowing (ukusesetha), grinding (ukuchola) as well as hunting using a spear.
Mr Dube said what is important about this particular activity is that it allows operators to plough back to the communities as they pay village fees which are pegged at $5 per person, with the money being channeled towards development of the community.
“There is an orphanage in the village, Ethandweni Children’s Home, where we take tourists. The orphanage relies on donations and this is some form of community based tourism because we believe that communities should benefit from tourism activities around the area,” he said.
Zulu Safaris operations manager Mr Francis Mutimbanyoka said Bulawayo is different from other destinations as it is history oriented. He said tourism in the city is centred on its history.
“There is a strong history behind the findings in the Matopos, the rock paintings at Inswathugi and Pomongwe caves as well as the vast granite outcrop,” said Mr Mutimbanyoka.
He said Matopos is a unique destination as it carries the highest number of bird species in Zimbabwe and that tourists get a chance to do the rhino tracking activity.
However, the presence of rhinos at the national park has made it susceptible to poachers although collaboration between the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management and the Matopo Rhino Initiative Trust has given birth to a project aimed at helping the Parks restore numbers of wildlife.
The Trust is in the process of rebuilding the fence to improve security within the park, with the first stage of fencing being envisioned to be complete by end of this year.
The Trust is not only aimed at improving Matopos but the livelihoods of locals through community development programmes where employment is created in the maintenance, fencing and guarding of the park and animals that exist within.
Archaeological guide Mr Paul Hubbard said the Matopos, which is a unique landscape because of the balancing rocks has a variety of flora and fauna as well as tree species that are only found in the area.
Mr Hubbard said Matopos Hills is home to the black eagle which has been a subject of study for many years as well as the history and culture in the hills.
“Tourists can never tire of visiting this destination because there are always new stories to tell about the area, it is rich in history and culture and it is like a sanctuary where people come to find peace and to relax.
It is also a place where people come to connect with their beliefs as there are a number of shrines like Njelele, Ntunjambila and there is a belief that Mwari exists in Matopos,” said Mr Hubbard.
He said Matopos is not widely known as a game area but most people visit to see the black and the white rhinos as well as the leopards although there is also plain game found in the area.
Matopos is not the only activity that tourists can enjoy in Bulawayo as operators also offer visits to Umguza Nature Reserve where tourists can enjoy horse riding while viewing plain game which includes zebra, kudu and impala.
There are also townships tours where tourists are taken to Makokoba and Renkini Long Distance Bus Terminus where they interact with locals as well as herbalists who sell different wares.
Speaking on the ways of sustaining and growing tourism in Bulawayo, Employers Association of Safari and Tour Operators vice-chairman Mr Craig Broomberg said all stakeholders in the sector need to make tourism affordable to sustain its viability.
“We have to be careful not to outprice ourselves, we should always consider our competition and their prices because there is a general concern over additional levies, taxes and entrance fees into certain areas that hinder tourism,” he said.
Tour operators expressed the need to have a more vigorous marketing thrust to bring awareness to the destination and ensure that tourist arrivals continue to increase as well as the number of nights that tourists spend in the city.
According to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Barometer (2010), tourism is generating $1,2 trillion in foreign currency receipts on the basis of about 940 million global tourist arrivals.
Tourism is one of four pillars anchoring economic growth in Zimbabwe after mining, agriculture and manufacturing sectors.
