The Sunday News
GOVERNMENT is losing a substantial amount of money in potential revenue following delays in the reconstruction of the Old Bulawayo Cultural Village which used to draw significant numbers of local and international tourists before it was burnt down in 2010.
A visit to the site on the outskirts of the city last week revealed that the once popular place was virtually deserted with no business taking place at the site.
Nothing was salvaged from the site, as the fire destroyed all the eight beehive huts, including the King’s Palace.
“We used to have many people paying to tour the cultural village especially school children. We also had a number of couples having their weddings here and musicians paying to shoot their musical videos here. But ever since it was burnt down nothing is happening,” said a National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe (NMMZ) worker who was manning the place.
In an interview NMMZ deputy executive director, Mr Darlington Munyikwa, said they were still searching for about $100 000 needed to revive the centre.
“In the past two years we have tried to mobilise funds from the Bulawayo business community but it has been difficult. We are hoping that we will get money. It is one of the major projects we want to resuscitate,” said Mr Munyikwa.
He said they had submitted a request for funding to the Government.
“We have submitted our request for funding and we need about $100 000,” said the official.
He said Old Bulawayo was important to the country’s tourism industry.
“Old Bulawayo is very important to us because it’s a cultural site and we also want to develop it for tourism purposes so that people can go there and see,” said Mr Munyikwa.
Old Bulawayo was established by King Lobengula as his capital in 1870 after the death of his father King Mzilikazi in 1868. It was abandoned in 1881 due to colonial threats to his political power.
In 1990, NMMZ identified the site as a suitable educational and tourist centre and through consultations with the Khumalo family it was reconstructed in 1998 as a theme park.
Structures such as a wagon shed, the outer palisade, King Lobengula’s palace, eight beehive huts and cattle kraal, as well as a nearby interpretive centre were constructed.
