Lovemore Chikova — Development Dialogue
If a tourist arrives in Harare today and there is a whole day to spend in the capital, where would they have a fruitful African experience of the city?
Well, the activities and places to visit are very limited to the extent that the tourist risks becoming bored, especially when they are coming from Western countries.
The boredom will emanate from the fact that the tourists will likely be taken to areas with Western themes that they are used to back in their own countries.
The few places of interest are dotted outside the city centre, such that part of the day may be consumed on travelling.
This situation can be changed, especially with the coming in of the African Museum of Liberation that is being built at what is to be known as the Liberation City in the Warren Park area.
But it will not be the Liberation City alone that will be crucial to tourism in Harare.
This article will argue that it is possible to create a tourism corridor in the west of Harare starting from the Mbuya Nehanda statue in the city centre.
Mbuya Nehanda Statue
The tourist can be taken to the Mbuya Nehanda statue at the intersection of Samora Machel Avenue and Julius Nyerere Way in the city centre as the starting point of the tourism experience in Harare.
Here, the purpose will not only be about the Mbuya Nehanda statue and the architecture accompanying the platform.
The Mbuya Nehanda statue can be used as a point to introduce the tourist to Zimbabwe, giving the country's history in general and other related matters with regards to its outlook.
At the statue, the tourist can also be told a brief history of Harare and its current status.
Harare Exhibition Park
The Harare Exhibition Park, also known as the Harare Showgrounds, just outside the city centre on Samora Machel Avenue can be another important part of this tourism matrix along this corridor.
From the Mbuya Nehanda statue, the tourist would have been armed with the knowledge about Zimbabwe, more importantly that agriculture is the mainstay of the economy.
Managed by the Zimbabwe Agricultural Society (ZAS), the Harare Exhibition Park, with its theme modelled around agriculture, can be the appropriate next destination.
Although the park is known for hosting the Zimbabwe Agricultural Show once a year, it is possible to have a new focus where those interested in agriculture can visit any time for exhibitions as part of a tourism experience.
This augurs well with the steps being taken by ZAS to transform the agricultural showgrounds into a lively and all-year round business hub with a hotel, offices, conferences, an expo centre, a convention centre and shopping malls.
Longchen Plaza
The next stop for the tourist could be the Longchen Plaza, a sprawling Chinese-themed shopping centre on the extension of the same road. What could be important is to improve the shopping mall so that it has a true reflection of China, both in terms of buildings' structure and the general outlook of the area.
This will enable the tourist to have a Chinese experience in Zimbabwe.
National Sports Stadium
The National Sports Stadium is another important destination for the tourist on this tourism corridor.
The ambience and the imposing structure of the stadium and its surroundings can give a tourist something worthwhile to spent time admiring.
Those who manage the stadium can go an extra mile to turn some halls at the stadium into sports exhibition centres where tourists can learn about Zimbabwean, African and international soccer.
The stadium can act like a soccer museum.
Museum of African Liberation
The sports museum at the National Sports Stadium can easily be linked to the multi-million dollar Museum of African Liberation that is taking place on one of the Warren Park hills just across the stadium.
The Museum of African Liberation will no doubt be the major drawcard for the tourist on this tourism corridor.
Construction of the museum and other accessories started recently, with work progressing on well at the site.
The whole area will be known as the Liberation City, accompanied by an animal park, a recreational park, an amusement park, modern shopping malls, a state-of-the-art conference centre ready to host international summits, a five-star hotel and presidential upmarket villas.
The Museum of African Liberation itself will house material from all African countries that waged armed struggles to liberate themselves.
Other African countries will also have their fair share of exhibitions because of their role in ensuring that those who fought the liberation struggles emerged victorious.
The museum will afford a tourist the chance to know more about the history of liberation struggles in Africa, with the story being told under one roof through various means.
Part of the artefacts to be housed at the museum will be items related to the fight against colonialism such as the weapons that were used during these wars.
Stories will also be told about the organisations that organized the resistance and personalities that led them and the battles and were won and lost during the liberation struggles.
National Heroes Acre
Linked to the Museum of African Liberation will be the National Heroes Acre, where those who contributed to the liberation of Zimbabwe in an outstanding manner are buried.
It is important that those behind the Museum of African Liberation intent to link the place with the National Heroes Acre by constructing a link bridge across Bulawayo Road, an extension of Samora Machel Avenue.
This will enable tourists to easily access both areas from either side.
One can choose to start by visiting the National Heroes Acre where they get to know about the personalities and the role they played during the liberation struggle before they witness their exploits being exhibited at the Museum of African Liberation.
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The museum will bring to life how those interred at the National Heroes Acre planned and fought the liberation struggle.
To add to the enthusiasm, those responsible for the National Heroes Acre can actually create an open theatre on part of the hill that hosts the revered place, where people can act dramas depicting the history of Zimbabwe as depicted on murals at the heroes acre.
This open theatre will be most appropriate as the organisers can take advantage of the vegetation cover on the hill to bring to life how the liberation war was fought.
Warren Park 1 suburb, model schools
Warren Park 1 suburb can be included on the itinerary of the tourist for a feel of life in a Zimbabwean high density suburb.
This will require a brief tour of the suburb. On the other hand, there is the council-owned Warren Park 1 High School on the east of the museum and the privately-owned Maranatha Christian High School on the north of the museum.
These two schools can be part of the tourism experience, as they exhibit the types of schools in Zimbabwe.
KwaMereki
An upgraded KwaMereki, but without removing the major features that make the place popular, will play an important role in this tourism itinerary as the tourist can find somewhere to relax and have food after the tour, before returning to the hotel.
Already, Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu has indicated that KwaMereki can be upgraded as part of township tourism.
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