dyton mupawaenda
Victor Maphosa recently in MUDZI
MASHONALAND East Province is ready to compete in the National Cookout Competitions to be held this month, after successfully conducting the provincial competitions yesterday in Mudzi district.
Two winners, (first and second) from provincial competitions will then represent Mashonaland East in the coming national competitions to be held in Mashonaland West province.
The First Lady launched her traditional Meal Cookout Competition in 2020 to promote the uptake of indigenous dishes and ensure citizens benefit from their nutritional value and medicinal properties, which was a success up to the national finals in 2021. Thereafter, she handed over the programme to the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry.
This successful programme by Amai Mnangagwa has not only attracted local people in their large numbers, but has also attracted those in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and already, regional Cookout Competitions will be held this month in Masvingo Province, where several countries in SADC have been invited to showcase their traditional cuisines. Well, in preparation of the forthcoming competitions, yesterday, Mashonaland East conducted its provincial competitions at Kotwa Secondary School in Mudzi where women from each district across the province showcased their traditional foods.
In a speech read on his behalf by the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Mashonaland East Province, Dr Aplonia Munzverengwi during the competitions, Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu called for everyone to continue embracing traditional dietary.
“I am humbled indeed to stand before you today witnessing the implementation of the Traditional Cookout Programme here in Mashonaland East Province, a brainchild of the First Lady of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr A Mnangagwa. When the idea was introduced to us in 2019, I said to myself, it will only come to reality if we are to work together as people of Zimbabwe.
“I am really grateful today, Mashonaland East, you have indeed demonstrated that you are moving on with the Traditional Cookout programme to another level. The traditional Cookout concept seeks to restore the traditional and cultural values of the nation using the readily available resources.
“I continue to urge the people of Zimbabwe to embrace the traditional diet as a way of boosting the immune system and maintaining a healthy living as they are food and herbal. The medicinal effects in such foods help to keep our bodies healthy and less vulnerable to different diseases.”
Minister Ndlovu added that traditional cuisine is now becoming common in many countries and is being used as a tool to attract tourists particularly those who are health conscious and cognisant of the value embedded in traditional foods.
“To this end, Amai tasked the Ministry responsible for Tourism to work together with Provinces to promote gastronomy tourism, attracting both the domestic and international markets. Let me bring to your attention that the previous editions of Traditional Cookout competitions in the provinces created a platform for knowledge and skills sharing on how to prepare traditional meals.
“In addition, a Traditional Cookout Recipe Book was compiled with traditional recipes from all the ten provinces and it was launched by Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa in August 2022. This was undertaken to ensure sustainability, as well as ensuring that we preserve the recipes for future generations.
“2023 is the year we are rolling out the Third Edition of the Traditional Cookout Competitions to the people of Zimbabwe moving with the same objective, to ensure a healthy living as we journey towards the attainment of an upper middle income society by 2030.”
He commended the province for taking a step further to value add their traditional products.
Mrs Emma Chikamhi, from Goromonzi district, who scooped the first prize in the Mashonaland East provincial cook out competitions thanked the First Lady and promised to work hard and win in the coming national competitions.
“I cannot believe that I won today. I cooked my traditional meals with all my heart and I put my mind to it. Winning in this competition has motivated me to even work hard since I will be representing my province at national level.
“I will work hard and win again at national level. Thank you Amai Mnangagwa for this wonderful and educative programme which is empowering women across the country. We are grateful for your wisdom and support,” she said.
Mrs Mutekedza, who is the wife to Chief Mutekedza from Chikomba district said the programme has taught them a lot and is benefiting many households.
“This programme is important especially for us women. We are now empowered. As for me, I now bake cakes using traditional and indigenous ingredients and they are delicious. These cakes are loved by many to the extent that people make orders and I get money from that.
“I want to call upon other women out there to come and join this programme, they will not regret it,”’ she said.
Another contestant Ms Tichafara Ngoma from Marondera district, who is also a youth as well as a Hospitality Management student said she is learning a lot about traditional foods through Amai Mnangagwa’s cook-out programme.
“I am so happy. Amai Mnangagwa’s programme is educative and beneficial especially to us youths. It is important for us to know about our traditional foods. I have always wanted to cook these foods so joining this programme is a plus for me.
“Through this programme, I am now aware of healthy food to eat and this is all because of Amai Mnangagwa. I want to thank her for this and I am encouraging other young women to embrace this programme,” she said.
Online Reporter