Great Team effort at Tour de Great Dyke

Lovemore Dube

MUNYARADZI Hwengwere, the founder of the Nedbank Tour de Great Dyke, a cycling extravaganza that started at the Zimplats plant in Selous recently and ended three days later in Zvishavane has described it as a success.

The event which began on 7 November and ended last week on Saturday, attracted both social and elite cyclists and drew the most out of their endurance.

It was no competition but an event where camaraderie, charity and appreciation of natural resources that drive the economy.

“The event was a success, a huge success indeed and was happy to see so many athletes and people lining up the streets to cheer on the guys and getting the message,” said Hwengwere.

The tour is a different event together for cyclists. It takes both elite and the social runners keen on promoting wellness a key driver of the economy.

“Cycling is one way of maintaining a fit body, and a fit body carries a healthy mental state and with that productivity is at its best for the miners who are key in driving the mining sector and community. Another part of the event is emphasizing togetherness as cyclists cycled as a group, encouraging each other with the slower ones being pushed along by the stronger and faster guys knowing that at the end of the day there are no winners, everyone who participates is a winner and has managed to get the organisers to achieve what they set out to do,” said Hwengwere.

The race runs along the Great Dyke, a belt that stretches in Zimbabwe’s central stretch for over 550km.

It is a mineral rich zone employing hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans and supporting millions and the economy.

“We were able along the way to talk about the Great Dyke and the minerals it has. Many people got to appreciate the significance of the race and the Great Dyke which is why we started at Zimplats, rode through Chegutu, Kadoma, Kwekwe, Gweru and Shurugwi on our way to Zvishavane the final destination,” said Hwengwere.

He said another key aspect about the tour is the creation of opportunities and utilising them for the betterment of the nation.

“The Great Dyke offers so many opportunities for everyone and the purpose of the Tour is to create an awareness which effectively we achieved. Even the race itself was an example as we used so many services along the route feeding into tourism and others,” said Hwengwere.

To get a successful event, Hwengwere said the success typified what unity of purpose can achieve for the nation.

“First upon my mother’s death we conceptualized the idea to honour her legacy of charity work. We decided cycling, a tour of this nature with proceeds going to the Zvishavane based Gifted Children’s Foundation could be the way. Our home was always full of people out to be assisted in several ways.

“With the idea in place, there rose a need for the route to be identified, service providers, cyclists and ancillary staff. United as a team we were able to pull the event for seventh time running,” said Hwengwere.

Several sponsors, Bon Aqua, Exide Batteries, Cellmed, Unki Mine, Mimosa Mine, Zimplats and Nedbank who were the principal sponsors made the event possible.