via Tourism ministry targets diamonds, gold – DailyNews Live by Kudzai Chawafambira 2 MARCH 2014
The Tourism ministry says it is pursuing investment opportunities in gold and diamond mining.
This comes as the Walter Mzembi-led ministry, in a rather awkward and unprecedented move, last year established a special purpose vehicle, Mosi oa Tunya Development Company.
It said the move was targeted at broadening its revenue base and raise money to fund tourism projects, at a time the country faces a tight national budget.
The investment vehicle will be given the latitude to be as creative as it can in order to mobilise funds for tourism development.
This will include the warehousing of our 1 200 hectares of land that has been given to us by the ministry of Local Government around which we are going to theme a new tourism development in the order of an Eco-Disneyland so that we modernise the Victoria Falls outside its perimeters of the designated World Heritage sites, Mzembi told Businessdaily.
He argued that the venture was not duplicating the Mines†ministry’s role saying “everything was above board”.
Government is encouraging us to adopt new thinking because ministries cannot survive on fiscal support alone,” he said, adding “I am sure you realise that my sector was the least, in terms of budgetary support with about $6 million.”
“We want to get them (tourists) in, get their money and get them out, Mzembi said.
This comes as last year the Tourism ministry struggled to access funds from Treasury to finance the hosting of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation general assembly.
Zimbabwe co-hosted the event with Zambia in Victoria Falls.
Last June, the Tourism ministry’s permanent secretary Margaret Sangarwe signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India government-owned NMDC Limited (NMDC) valid for 90 days.
It was expected that NMDC would require around 60 days to carry out a due diligence to ascertain the exact quantity of resources as well as the financial worth of the deposits.
Chandra Shekar Verma, NMDC managing director and chairperson, said plans to invest in the southern African country is part of his company’s strategy to shore up mineral reserves globally.
The signing of this MoU is a significant step towards ensuring augmentation of NMDC’s mineral reserves and globalisation of its operations, he said.
NMDC is India’s single largest iron ore producer, presently producing about 30 million tonnes of iron ore from three fully mechanised mines that is under the ambit of India’s Steel ministry.
It is involved in the exploration of wide range of minerals including iron ore, copper, rock phosphate, lime stone, dolomite, gypsum, bentonite, magnesite, diamond, tin, tungsten, graphite and beach sands.
COMMENTS
Government is encouraging us to adopt new thinking because ministries cannot survive on fiscal support alone,” he said, adding “I am sure you realise that my sector was the least, in terms of budgetary support with about $6 million.”
So if Mzembi got only $6M where is he getting the money to invest in mining? Isnt mining a very costly business requiring more than $6M? Other mining enterprises have been struggling (no more alluvial deposits etc)and asking the government to help yet he wants to venture into that?? Where is the sense in that?
One day we hear Government plans to reduce players in the mining of diamonds etc the next someone if wading into what we are told is an overcrowded field.
So now we will have every other Ministry ‘being creative’ and venturing into mining to raise money for their ministries? Yet mining we are told is not bringing the revenue that is anticipated!!
This all sounds very woolly and confusing.
The future for tourism will be foreigners coming to watch the ‘povo’ wielding shovel and badza for the chinese thieves while the Zanu fatcats stand by and take your money….even Vic Falls will dry up in shame!!
Yes Lucy,the lunacy goes on .He is being deceitful. Since the 80s, Zanu has always been signing MOUs which are worth the Zim dollar they are written on. This is Toy Story part 6.
Ema ,where are u?how can u encourage the folly of buiding a disneyland in the middle of a game park near our famous waterfall .this will be indeed an environmental disaster.kasukuwere do not be fooled by the chinese knock some sense into these people.they hav already given each other tenders and their eyes are already seeing dollars.they dont care about the aftermath.
This to me means tourism is not a viable industry. So after the mining and investing in tourism sector how will that increase the revenue from tourism. I thought we have the infrastructure to cater for tourists. How will the extra revenue from mining help the tourism sector. Saka kana kusina mari for tourism ministry chingovharai ministry yacho ka.
What tourism? Who wants to get officially pick pocketed from the time you arrive at the airport, the taxi ride, at the hotel, to view the Falls and game parks etc?
Jake, you forgot the Police at their road blocks…
Muzembi, you now want to be jack of all ministries and master of none. You don’t seem to know where you start and end as Minister for Tourism. Mining falls under the ambit of Minister of mines not your ministry. You want to retrench minister of mines so that you run two ministries. That is wrong Mzembi, very very wrong. Iyi ndiyo mbayo isina musoro and confusion at its best. You found there is nothing to steal from tourism and you want to sneak into someone’s ministry. Haunyare! You have failed to revive tourism badly damaged by wild policies of your party.
This isn’t new thinking but no thinking. I wonder if Mr Minister here consulted stakeholders in the industry or it was just him and his team, the same team that came up with the equally dull idea of Eco-Disyneyland? Tourist go to a destination to see, learn, shop and have fun. In all honesty does the Minister see the crowd that visits the Falls being the same crowds who go to the Lunar Park? There are so many alternatives to increasing the appeal of our traditional sites but these require exposure. Consult stakeholders and let the private sector develop these ideas and only then will you understand that tourist do ignore advisory warnings from their government if the offering is good enough.
Love him or hate him, the Mugabe brand has worldwide name recognition probable equal or potentially greater than the Mandela brand. How has this brand benefited local tourism?
The Rozwi Empire, centered at Great Zimbabwe covered an area stretching into Mozambique, South Africa, Botswana and Zambia, is there any pilgrimage event to draw the subjects of this kingdom to the seat of their paramount monarchy?
With our investment in education is it not possible to develop a Medical Tourism product? Based on per capita spend, Medical tourists are the highest spenders second only to space tourists.
Do a survey of the number of shoppers who go to Dubai, South Africa and Botswana to buy products that are made in China. Can we not make it worth their while to shop locally. It’s all about the price, variety and taxes! A tax regime based on protecting none existent local industries is not new thinking. We could even highjack those buses coming from our northern borders. Turn one of our small towns into a Dubai, duty free shoppers haven, and watch the dollars flow in.
No one expect you to have all the answers Mr Minister, all we ask is mobilize tourism stakeholders and the citizenry to help you develop the new thinking. Funding can be found for a good idea. Not this mining business you are talking about and most definitely not Lunar Park! Mining dumps and tourist don’t mix, that would be a certain passion killer!
Tourism Ministry going into mining? What’s next, Mining ministry going into tourism? Is that why we have ZBC at roadblocks collecting listeners license fees?We need to restore the central treasury role of consolidating government revenue collection and distribution. Who handles policy coordination in this government? If we allow all ministries to collect and retain their revenue we open up that many more opportunities for abuse of public funds. As for Walter, away with the silly idea, consult stakeholders, you will get brilliant ideas. Here is a few, duty free shoppers, health tourism, educational tourism, historical tourism, gambling tourism and cultural tourism. Ask stakeholders and be amazed at the ingenuity of Zimbabweans.