Development catch-up plays out in Binga

Robin Muchetu recently in Binga

NESTLED in the Zambezi Valley, Matabeleland North Province, Binga District drips raw with a lot of untapped potential and roars with many possibilities. It is a gem waiting to be fully exploited.

It is a paradise of nature and holds the future of tourism and cultural preservation that can only be felt through close social intercourse with the district’s population. What others call remote and primitive is not as such, it is only coming across a population that finds pleasure in the pride and uniqueness of their identity and refuses the porosity that other cultures call dynamism and yet gets swallowed in the open jaws of the Eurocentric hydra.

Accessibility

The journey to the district is somewhat treacherous and at most tiresome. Despite being favoured by many locals and foreigners, the road network is one that needs some rehabilitation to make it more navigable. Many who have visited the district would be fortunate enough to arrive without having suffered tyre puncture or car breakdown as the ride is bumpy and requires off-roaders more than small luxury cars.

However, an airstrip is a recent development that has been made available for those who want to fly into the district courtesy of the Second Republic in a bold acknowledgment of the potential that the district holds in the promotion of tourism.  The airstrip can hold small aircraft adequately allowing visitors that want to experience the beauty of the district more convenience.

Food chains

On the gastronomy side, Binga’s pulse rests on the large fishing networks where fish including kapenta provide a lifeline for locals and others beyond. Fish is in abundance throughout the year save for the colder months where numbers dwindle. Fishing camps are located along the banks of the Zambezi River and are patronised by local fishermen who catch and dry kapenta and also sell this together with fresh fish.

The Simatelele area is the home of fish where fishermen sell their catch in bulk to those who resell in various parts of the country. Busika (tamarind) is another common and popular fruit that visitors to the district do not usually leave without buying.

The fruit is typically used when making mealie-meal porridge and is believed to have anti-fungal, antibacterial, antioxidant, and antiviral properties. Some also say it acts as a laxative.

Tourism

Tourism is another pull factor to Binga where various sites are popular with many with the Binga Beach being one of the major highlights. The white sands and clear waters are a marvel and various tourist packages are being crafted around the recreational area to attract more clients to the scenic area. The beach also gives those visiting it a view of Zambia.

The natural hot springs located in Binga are also captivating. Piping hot water laced with sulphur sprays out of the rock fissures to form small streams of water. The water is believed to have healing properties especially for those with skin conditions like eczema.

The hot springs that are dotted around Binga Centre are now a protected site with authorities fencing them off to ensure no vandalism takes place. Visiting the crocodile farms is also another interesting activity for tourists to take part in.

Crocodile menace

However, crocodiles are also a menace on the Zambezi River with hundreds of locals having lost their lives and limbs to the crocs. People fetching water on the banks of the river, bathing, or fishing have fallen prey to the large carnivorous reptiles.
It is common in villages along the Zambezi River to see many limbless people, survivors of croc attacks who lived to tell their harrowing stories of how they came face to face with the water monsters.

However, they continue to fetch water, fish, and bath on the river banks with the hope of not getting attacked once more.
Animals, both domestic and wild also fall prey to the crocodiles in what looks like an unfair balance of nature.

Developments

The importance of the district has also seen the Government working on improving the road network to Hwange, Victoria Falls, Binga and other areas throughout the province which are part of the country’s leading tourist destinations. Roadworks have commenced along the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road and this is largely expected to increase the volumes of visitors to the province which is the largest in the country.

The Second Republic has also realised the need for the district to provide the country with skilled human capital and established Binga Polytechnic College. A mine has also been set — Muchesu while a community radio station and television signals meant that the community in Binga is now fully part of the whole that forms Zimbabwe.

In a nutshell, Binga is representative of President Mnangagwa’s leaving no one and no place behind development philosophy. -@NyembeziMu