adminLiberty Dube Business Correspondent
ORGANISERS of the Harare International Carnival should use the platform to publicise the economic blueprint, Zim- Asset, Zimbabwe’s history as well as other Government initiatives to local and international visitors through creative floats, Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa said recently.
The float idea, which was initially presented by Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry Walter Mzembi, would be a three-dimensional (3D) presentation of an idea or message about a product but sold to the consuming public at a carnival or public platform.
Addressing delegates at the just-ended third edition of the Harare International Carnival in Gunhill, Harare, VP Mnangagwa said he wished to see four established economic pillars of agriculture, mining, manufacturing and tourism under the Zim-Asset blueprint coming to tell own stories through dynamic displays at the carnival.
“I believe that it is necessary for you minister and Team Tourism to consider capturing Zimbabwe’s history in creative floats that tell the true story of Zimbabwe, to our food self-sufficiency and security inherent now in our new model of equitability and equal access to land. Cotton ginners, tobacco auction floors and grain marketers should be here with their floats, including players in the mining industry, for example, the gold, diamond and platinum mining sectors.
“The now charismatic church industry demonstrating the power of religious tourism would not be left behind and can equally constitute themselves into powerful floats answering to their various faithful through song and dance. Papal tours elsewhere have changed the world, we have our local prophetic equivalents here with huge followings that can forever change the traditional mindset on carnivals,” said VP Mnangagwa.
He proposed for decentralisation of the carnival saying each province would host the fiesta once a year.
“The sustainability of this concept should be anchored by decentralisation to provinces. I envisage, in the future, each province through its capital for starters, hosting a carnival at least once a year to the extent that our 10 provinces can all be accommodated. Each province will have a theme consistent with its endowments and accomplishments. So I am for smart partnerships that will ensure that carnivals become hubs of economic activity in provinces,” he added.
The carnival, which ran till last Sunday, saw 24 countries among them Brazil, India, South Africa, DRC and Malawi attending. A bumper crowd of more than five million attended the street party held in Harare’s Central Business District on Saturday.
Outstanding groups who performed during the 10-hour street party were honoured.
Brazil won the International Senior Carnival category while South Africa and Egypt were first and second runners- up respectively. Dzikwa Trust won the best overall accolade as well as in the junior category. Zhandukunyandu and Zimbabwe College of Music came out tops in the cultural and contemporary groups respectively.
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