Despite being endowed with world-class destinations, such as Mutarazi Falls and Mount Inyangani, Manicaland does not have a decent airport to cater for such tourists. The result has been slow tourism development.
Now efforts have hit a brick wall with the news that transport and infrastructure secretary, Munesu Munodawafa, has said the cash-strapped government can’t guarantee a Mutare airport project because of its commitment to the $150m Victoria Falls airport project.
“We know Mutare needs to be upgraded but now we are looking at optimising the resources that come through. We are heavily committed to Victoria Falls,” Munodawafa told The Zimbabwean. He said government instead had Buffalo Range airport in Masvingo in mind because it opened the country to transfrontier travel with South Africa and Mozambique. Munodawafa said the terminal building at Buffalo Range was not up to the standard expected by tourists.
The secretary, however, said that if there were players interested in developing Mutare airport in a public private partnership (PPP) arrangement, they would be welcome.
Post published in: Lifestyle
What about resuscitating the old aerodrome in Masvingo? There seem to be enough small planes doing short haul now in the region? And Lake Muturikwi is just as beautiful as it ever was.
What about resuscitating the old aerodrome in Masvingo? There seem to be enough small planes doing short haul now in the region? And Lake Muturikwi is just as beautiful as it ever was.
Munodawafa said the terminal building at Buffalo Range was not up to the standard expected by tourists. Excuse me? That is a joke. Tourists come to Africa because its beauty and attraction, like an intriguing woman, lies in her still being Darkest Africa, i.e. raw, untamed, etc. No one expects to arrive at an aerodrome they have never heard of and find computers and cocktails. All they want is to avoid spending days travelling when everyone only gets two weeks now and then during the year. And they will already spend 4 days on international long-hauls to get there. So that gives them limited time to travel internally.