Hello 

Create Profile

Creating your profile will enable you to submit photos and stories to get published on News24.


Please provide a username for your profile page:

This username must be unique, cannot be edited and will be used in the URL to your profile page across the entire 24.com network.

Facebook Sign-In

Hi News addict,

Join the News24 Community to be involved in breaking the news.

Log in with Facebook to comment and personalise news, weather and listings.

 

Mugabe's house to become tourist site

18 October 2012, 16:29

Cape Town – Zimbabwean ministers have approved plans to spruce-up old homes of pre-independence nationalists to promote township tourism, a move criticised by a political analyst as "lack of agenda and a case of misplaced priorities" by government.

Newzimbabwe.com reported on Wednesday that Finance Minister Tendai Biti was expected to allocate funds for the project - which could run into millions of dollars – in his 2013 budget, due to be announced on 15 November.

The properties due for a facelift include President Robert Mugabe's house in Harare's Highfield suburb, as well as houses used by the late vice president Joshua Nkomo, former Zanu leader Hebert Chitepo and Zanu founder Enos Nkala.  

According to the report, the project was inspired by "township tourism which has been successfully promoted in South Africa, with several homes of anti-apartheid icons in Soweto being converted to tourist sites".

Tourism Minister Walter Mzembi said the plan had already sailed through cabinet.

Political analyst Pedzisayi Ruhanya however slammed the proposal, saying it demonstrated government's skewed priorities.

"It’s a clear lack of agenda and a case of misplaced priorities," he said.

"How can they prioritise renovating those houses when the economy is bleeding with an unemployment rate of over 80%, when universities have no ablution facilities?"

Finance Minister Biti was on a regional tour recently begging Zimbabwe’s neighbours to advance loans of up to $400m as he tried to bridge a deficit from his last budget.

- News24

Share Print
Comment on this story
0 comments
Add your comment
Comment 0 characters remaining

Read more from our Users

Submitted by
27802094
Lady Justice Rawal vetted for Dep...

Nominated Lady Justice Kalpana Rawal was vetted for the position of the Deputy CJ of the Supreme Court. Read more...

Submitted by
Kevo
The untapped Lake in Central Keny...

Lake Ol Bollosat, the only Lake in Central province, is one of the untapped resources in the region.  Read more...

Submitted by
King King
Laikipia executive committee bala...

The Laikipia County executive nominees now comprise equal number of men and women - four men and four women. Read more...

Submitted by
Kevo
USAID to invest KES 80bln in Keny...

Governors from the upper Eastern region met the USAID Mission Director in Kenya to discuss the on-going USAID projects in the Counties. Read more...

Submitted by
Musyoka
'Unite to eliminate poverty'

Leaders in Kilifi County have been urged to unite to find ways of eliminating poverty in the area. Read more...

Submitted by
Joseph
MP prepares bill to disband Senat...

Kiharu MP Irungu Kang’ata is preparing a bill seeking to disband Senate saying it has very little to do compared to the National Assembly.  Read more...