KAZA Ministers commend First Lady for championing tourism growth

Rutendo Nyeve, [email protected]

THE First Lady of Zimbabwe, Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, has received regional recognition for her efforts to promote tourism, with the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA) Ministerial Committee commending her initiative that enabled 10 000 women from all provinces of Zimbabwe to visit Victoria Falls.

The commendation came during the 16th KAZA TFCA Ministerial Committee Meeting held in Victoria Falls on Friday, attended by ministers and senior Government officials from the five partner states.

Among those present were Zimbabwe’s Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, Dr Evelyn Ndlovu, who is also the current Chairperson of the KAZA TFCA Ministerial Committee; Botswana’s Minister of Environment and Tourism, Mr Wynter Boipuso Mmolotsi; Namibia’s Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, Indileni Daniel, represented by Deputy Minister Anselm N Marungu; Angola’s Minister of Tourism, Marcio De Jesus Lopes Daniel, represented by Baltazar Diogo Cristovao; and Zambia’s Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Mr Evans Muhanga.

KAZA TFCA is the world’s largest transfrontier conservation area, covering about 520 000 square kilometres across Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The conservation area is home to nearly half of the world’s remaining savanna elephants and includes three UNESCO World Heritage Sites, among them Victoria Falls.

In its official Joint Communique, the Ministerial Committee specifically acknowledged Dr Mnangagwa’s contribution to promoting tourism through the landmark women’s excursion held during the Second UN Tourism Regional Congress on Women.

“The Ministerial Committee commended the Partner States for the following national achievements: Zimbabwe, for successfully hosting the Zimbabwe Funders Roundtable and advancing a shared roadmap to strengthen the biodiversity economy through coordinated conservation, community stewardship, and sustainable financing, as well as for the landmark excursion convened by the First Lady during the 2nd UN Tourism Regional Congress on Women, which brought together ten thousand women from all ten provinces to experience the Victoria Falls Rainforest,” reads the Communique.

The excursion, held in April, was facilitated by Dr Mnangagwa in her capacity as Patron of Tourism and Hospitality Industry. For many of the women who participated, it was their first opportunity to visit and experience Victoria Falls, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.

The initiative was widely viewed as a powerful demonstration of inclusive tourism, giving women from diverse backgrounds an opportunity to connect with one of Zimbabwe’s premier tourism attractions.

Beyond the KAZA recognition, Dr Mnangagwa has continued to earn international acclaim for her gastronomy tourism initiatives, which focus on promoting Zimbabwean cuisine and indigenous food heritage.

During the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands held in Victoria Falls last year, UNESCO Director-General Ms Audrey Azoulay visited a gastronomy exhibition spearheaded by the First Lady and praised the initiative.

“It is a national initiative building on the biodiversity of the country… to support local communities, especially women, who harvest these vegetables, cook them, and prepare dishes that represent the country,” Ms Azoulay said.

Since launching the gastronomy tourism programme in 2019, Dr Mnangagwa has overseen nationwide traditional cookout competitions aimed at preserving Zimbabwe’s culinary heritage while creating economic opportunities for rural communities, particularly women.

Her efforts earned her an invitation to the UNWTO Global Forum on Gastronomy Tourism in Spain in 2023, where she was recognised for pioneering gastronomy tourism in Africa.

The latest recognition by the KAZA TFCA Ministerial Committee further cements Zimbabwe’s growing reputation as a leader in inclusive and community-centred tourism development, while highlighting the First Lady’s role in promoting the country’s tourism assets on the regional and international stage.