The Sunday News
Walter Mswazie in Masvingo
FIRST Lady, Amai Auxilia Mnangagwa has hailed institutions of higher learning for engaging in debate competitions as they stimulate critical thinking in decision making.
In a speech read on her behalf by Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs, Cde Ezra Chadzamira during the launch of Zimbabwe Youth in Tourism debate competitions at the Great Zimbabwe University’s Robert Mugabe School of Education on Friday, Amai Mnangagwa said the competitions help stimulate critical thinking and urged the Government to capture notes for onward use of the deliberations during policy formulation.
The inaugural competitions which saw more than 17 institutions of higher learning participating, were held under the theme, “Towards Economic Transformation —Product, Positioning, People, Partnership: Making Vision 2030 A Reality”.
“The debate is befittingly held at a time our country is pursuing an aggressive process of branding itself in order to attract tourists and investors as we strive to fulfil our national vision of becoming an upper-middle class economy by 2030. Debates are important in that they improve intellectual capacities and decision making.
“This can be thorough stimulating critical and logical thinking, improved balanced and informed development alternatives and using researches, reasoning and evidence based persuasions and engagements,” said Amai Mnangagwa.
She commended the youth in tourism for initiating such a noble way of promoting tourism in the country.
“The debates being held today should cascade to primary and secondary schools. May the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education take a leaf from the tertiary institutions participating today.
“Young people are our future leaders. We have an obligation to build their leadership capacities and appreciation of national ethos through creating an enabling environment for their involvement and participation.
“I would like to urge the Ministry of Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry to consider issues arising from these debates in the planning and implementation of tourism policies, projects and programmes,” she said.
The First Lady commended the Zimbabwe Youth in Tourism for bringing together many stakeholders, as national development called for the participation and involvement of everyone.
“I therefore commend the holistic approach adopted by the Zimbabwe Youth in Tourism which has brought on board universities, colleges, Government Ministries, media, civil society and young people.
“Indeed, the youth in our universities and other institutions they are coming from, are pivotal to the attainment of Vision 2030.
“Zimbabwe has a desire in the tourism and environment sector to tap on the demographic dividend of our youthful population which constitute over 68 percent of our population,” she said.
Amai Mnangagwa said the country was endowed with diverse cultural and traditional treasures as evidenced by the participation at the cultural trade fair by a number of cultural groups, recently held in Harare at her invitation.
“I recently invited all provinces to Harare to showcase cultural diversity. I was humbled by the enormous support through exhibitions and participation of all the provinces. Masvingo had the biggest representations.”
Amai Mnangagwa said students should also learn more about what is practical, which is different from academic engagement.
“Identify your role in the promotion of tourism and hospitality industry outside the classroom set- up. What is more critical in this day is applied knowledge and skills for modernisation and industrialisation of the economy.”
She said tourism was one of the key sectors of the economic development and Masvingo was already targeting a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of US$8 billion by 2030 and tourism would have a huge contribution into the projected trajectory.
“I am told, Masvingo is targeting US$8 billion GDP by 2030 with tourism projected to be the third largest contributor.”
She said Masvingo has a huge potential in tourism supported by an avalanche of tourist attractions that include Gonarezhou National Park along the Great Limpopo Trans-frontier Park, Great Zimbabwe monuments and Liberation War sites such as Gonakudzingwa Restriction Camp, Kamungoma and Trababulas –Train and Trail, Great Limpopo Cultural Festivals held annually at Mhlanguleni Cultural Centre.
