Online Reporter
Remember Deketeke
Herald Correspondent
RESTORING Zimbabwe’s national identity through culture and heritage is a key pillar in delivering the National Development Strategy 2 and achieving Vision 2030, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbara Rwodzi has said.
She was speaking at the Amai’s Traditional Cook-Out Competition 2026 for Harare Province.
The Cook-Out is an initiative spearheaded by First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, which is repositioning Zimbabwe’s cultural identity at the centre of economic transformation.
“Our heritage is who we are. By going back to our culture, we are reclaiming our identity and using it as a foundation for national development,” she said.
“It is an amazing strategy that we have been implementing since 2023, although the programme started in 2019, and it is already yielding tangible results in promoting Zimbabwe as a unique tourism destination.”
The competition recognised outstanding participants across categories: Stephan Zuze from Harare Central was first in the persons with disability category, while Linda Chigonyera from Morgan Zintec was the best student and Daniel Nyamutova from Holiday Inn was named the best professional chef.
Minister Rwodzi said the gastronomy tourism drive is designed to ensure Zimbabweans appreciate their traditional cuisine before marketing it abroad.
“The First Lady understood that once we own our food and proudly present it to ourselves and to the world, our tourism sector will grow to greater heights, which is what we are witnessing today,” she said. “Wherever you go, particularly within international tourism platforms, Zimbabwe is now being recognised for its gastronomy, and the First Lady has become a reference point in Africa on this front,” she said.
Minister Rwodzi emphasised that the initiative goes beyond promoting food to creating inclusive economic opportunities for communities.
“This programme is giving back to our communities, who are the custodians of our heritage.
“When we speak about destinations such as Victoria Falls, Great Zimbabwe and the Eastern Highlands, it is the communities that preserve these treasures,” she said.
“By integrating them into gastronomy tourism, we are creating jobs, generating income and ensuring they directly benefit from the tourism value chain.”
Minister Rwodzi explained that the programme covers the full value chain, from production to consumption, ensuring communities participate in the tourism industry.
“From the farmer to the processor, to the hotel and ultimately to the table, gastronomy tourism is creating opportunities across sectors, ensuring that communities are active participants in the tourism industry,” she said.
“This is how we build a sustainable and inclusive tourism economy.”
The minister added that the initiative aligns with broader Government interventions under President Mnangagwa, particularly on rural development.
“This links with the President’s vision of ensuring inclusive development through initiatives such as the solarised borehole programme targeting 35 000 villages,” she said.
“Through these projects, women are being empowered with inputs such as seed and fertiliser, enabling them to produce food that feeds into the gastronomy tourism value chain.”
Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Deputy Minister Kiven Mutimbanyoka praised the programme’s inclusivity. “I would like to commend the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry for taking the lead in championing this noble initiative, which continues to attract widespread participation and interest,” he said.
“Of particular importance is the inclusion of persons with disabilities in this programme.
“This is a clear demonstration that indeed, disability is not inability, and it affirms our national commitment to inclusivity and the principle of leaving no one and no place behind.”
