daniel chigunwe
Conrad Mupesa
Mash West Bureau
The Chidzuwi Sleeping Pool about 20km southwest of Chinhoyi town is endowed with a rich historical background of the early white settlers mining escapades and First Chimurenga.
It is located near the former and mining copper settlement of Alaska, along the Alaska-Copper Queen Road.
The sleeping pool is believed to have underground connections with Chinhoyi Caves (Chirorodziva) water tunnels.
It possesses great possibilities of spinning around the economy through tourism, which is Zimbabwe’s third largest sector after mining and agriculture.
Currently, the sector is anchored on several national parks and natural attractions such as Hwange, Mana Pools, Gonarezhou national parks, Victoria Falls, Lake Kariba and the Great Zimbabwe National Monument.
However, the breathing of life into Chidzuwi Sleeping Pool and various small, but majestic sites, is expected to fully transform the sector as anticipated.
A few metres from the deep and scary gorge of Chidzuwi Pool lies the remains of J Dougherty who died on May 31, 1896, after clashes with the Korekore community.
While the grave has been subdued due to the unshakable impacts of nature, including the destroying effects of roots of the Sycamore Fig known as Mukuyu in Shona, the copper slate bearing the name, date of death and other messages, shows that the miner was “subsequently found to have been murdered down an Alaska Mine shaft during the rebel of 1896 and later interred under this grave”.
However, local villagers are of a different view.
They believe the white miner died as a result of a foiled mining process. It is said several other miners lost their lives after a mining explosion accident.
The villagers claim that the miners were conducting open cast mining and the blasting exercise was meant to increase their gold production.
Some of the villagers who claim to have gotten the information after it was passed down from their forefathers, said the blast ripped off the ground base resulting in the death of many white miners.
The ripping off resulted in the underground water source drawing up, filling the greater part of the unreclaimed pit with water.
They claim mermaids are present in the pool and the disappearance of mining equipment, including front-end loaders in the 1970s serves as a point that the pool was sacred and spiritual.
“Chidzuwi Pool connects with Chirorodziva Pool that is well known as Chinhoyi Caves Pool,” said 67-year-old Cement Guvheya, the Korekore Cultural Village tour guide.
“It was a result of the early white settlers who failed to observe and respect the laws of the Korekore land. This led to the opening of the pool.”
The village’s chairman, Mr Francis Nyawa, buttressed Mr Guvheya’s claims and said mining at the pit was halted barely six years after the white settlers had raised the Union Jack in Salisbury, now Harare.
However, some sources claim that the crater was formed during a foiled mining operation by the Mussina Transvaal Mining Development in the 1960s.
No matter the claim and misconceptions surrounding Chidzuwi Pool formation, the place has become a wonder that deserves to be regarded and promoted as a tourist attraction centre.
In its quest to promote the area and domestic tourism, the government through the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry and Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) opened Korekore Cultural Village a few metres away from the sleeping pool and the grave in 2018.
The Cultural Village, for many reasons, seeks to promote domestic and international tourism thereby transforming the lives of 80 household members from the community.
The centre showcases the way of life of the Korekore people who also happen to be the original tribe of the area surrounding the Cultural Village, Sleeping Pool and the miner’s grave, among many other places.
During his recent visit to the site, Minister of State for Presidential Affairs and Monitoring Implementation of Government Programmes, Dr Jorum Gumbo, challenged the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry and ZTA to ensure that the project was supported to help promote the lives of surrounding families through tourism.
“The tourist centre should benefit the community, thus there should be guards, perimeter fences and proper maintenance to promote tourism,” he said.
“Through this cultural village, you have established a living museum that will assist in the promotion and preservation of Shona Culture, especially as it relates to the Korekore people.”
Dr Gumbo said the village should assist in educating visitors on the different aspects of the Korekore Culture.
“It should also assist the government in promoting domestic tourism,” he said.
“Thus, I encourage the communities to be active in the management of the site, including the pool and the lying grave which is historical.
“It is, therefore, my hope that when fully operational, the village will prove to be a source of livelihood of the community through revenue generated from various activities.”
Plans are also in place to incorporate wild animals, biking, water surfing and many other activities to boost the place’s tourism attractiveness from a 100-hectare area, which was provided by Makonde Rural District Council.
“It would be unfortunate if projects were to be delayed due to the mishandling of funds. I make this point in the full knowledge that our people are no longer content with mere promises, but require tangible developmental deliverables,” said Dr Gumbo.
ZTA chief operating officer, Mr Givemore Chidzidzi, said the Korekore Village was going to benefit more than 180 families directly while a multiplier of benefits were lying ahead.
He said Allied Timbers and Forestry Commission had chipped in during the initial stages of the project, while ZTA drilled a borehole and installed two 50 000 litre tanks.
Tour guides, including Cement Guvheya and Ms Portia Godora, guide visitors, giving them relevant information regarding the pool and the Korekore lifestyle, among other relevant issues.
Online Reporter