Online Reporter
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, [email protected]
ALONG the long stretch of the Beitbridge-Bulawayo Highway, where travellers once welcomed the sight of a resting place halfway through their journey, Jesse Halfway Hotel now stands in haunting silence.
Nestled in the West Nicholson area of Gwanda, the once-luxurious hotel that bustled with life, laughter and the hum of engines has crumbled into a shadow of its former self. Its broken windows gape open to the elements, corridors echo with emptiness, and the grandeur that once defined the 88-room facility has been surrendered to neglect.
In its heyday, Jesse Halfway Hotel was more than just a stopover. It was a landmark — impossible to miss after kilometres of thick bush along the highway. Luxury coaches ferrying high-end passengers between Bulawayo and Beitbridge routinely pulled in, offering weary travellers warm meals, clean rooms and a place to stretch their legs.
Today, the hotel’s shell tells a different story.
The surrounding service station, bar and kiosk have also fallen into disrepair. There is no electricity. No running water. Toilets no longer function. What remains is a decaying structure now occupied by desperate families, illegal gold panners and shadowy activities that residents say have turned the area into a crime hotspot.
For senior citizen Ronnie Sibanda, the sight of the dilapidated hotel stirs painful memories.
“The building you see now was once a beautiful place that caught everyone’s attention. As you drove along the Bulawayo-Beitbridge Road, after passing the thickets, the hotel would suddenly appear. It was welcoming and impressive,” recalled Sibanda as he shook his head slowly.
“It’s sad that now all that’s left is an old, crumbling structure. If that place is revived, it can cover a huge gap. The distance between Gwanda and Beitbridge is long such that travellers need a proper stopover.”
Another resident, Thomas Khumalo, believes the hotel’s collapse symbolises lost economic potential for the district.
“Buildings like this enhance the landscape and stimulate economic activity. This hotel was a serious business enterprise. Reviving it would bring revenue into the district and boost the provincial GDP,” he said.
For those who lived in the area when Jesse Halfway Hotel was at its peak, the contrast is stark. Sibongile Ncube remembers a time when the hotel was alive with movement — luxury coaches arriving, motorists checking in for the night and wildlife roaming freely around the surrounding plots.
“It was the main halfway stop for luxury buses. Many motorists spent nights there, and there was even free game viewing. The area was calm and quiet,” she said.
Now, Ncube says, that tranquillity has been replaced by chaos.
“Illegal gold panners have invaded the area. People are squatting in the hotel rooms and there are many illegal activities taking place. If the hotel was operational again, it could help restore order,” she said.
Ncube recalls that during its prime, the hotel was aggressively marketed at Beitbridge Border Post, targeting foreign travellers. It also catered for wealthy local farmers and gold miners.
“During hunting season, it was always fully booked by overseas trophy hunters. That’s why there was a filling station to service off-road vehicles,” she said.
Gwanda Rural District Council chief executive officer, Ranganai Sibanda, agrees that the hotel’s revival could breathe new life into the district.
“The hotel is strategically located along one of the country’s busiest highways. If revived, it can attract motorists to stop over, bringing revenue to the district and the province,” he said.
Sibanda said the project aligns with national development priorities under Vision 2030.
However, efforts to reclaim the building have faced resistance. A resident who requested anonymity said authorities once issued eviction notices to people occupying the hotel illegally, but compliance has been minimal.
“Police were called in, but within days, the people were back. Crime is very high and people are killed even in broad daylight,” the resident said.
The social cost, the resident added, is devastating.
“Girls as young as 14 are getting into prostitution to support their families. Some fall pregnant just months after starting.”
For now, Jesse Halfway Hotel remains frozen between memory and decay, its fate uncertain, its story unfinished.
