Sharon Jiyamwa
Herald Reporter
The Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry is seeking to revive Zimbabwe’s horse-racing industry as part of efforts to promote sports tourism, attract international visitors and stimulate economic growth as the sector seeks to attain its target of US$10 billion by 2030.
Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbara Rwodzi said this during the Purple Bloom Cup and Pink Ribbons cancer awareness event held at Borrowdale Racecourse in Harare on Saturday, where horse racing sporting activities were combined with cancer awareness initiatives.
The event, which was organised by Mashonaland Turf Club (MTC), Turf Culture Africa, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA), Magitare Trust and Canserve Trust, brought together the tourism sector, the medical fraternity and sports enthusiasts.
Organisers used the race to raise awareness about cancer while highlighting the potential of horse racing to attract visitors and generate economic opportunities.
Minister Rwodzi said the Government is keen to restore the racecourse’s former status as a major tourism attraction. She recalled a period when regular race meetings drew international jockeys and spectators from Britain, France, the United States and other countries.
The minister said the Government will work with the Turf Club to revive sporting activities at the venue before extending similar initiatives to other parts of the country, including Bulawayo and smaller towns with comparable infrastructure.
“We need to come together and ensure that the infrastructure is brought to where it used to be. We also need to speak about it loudly because domestic tourism is actually bigger than international tourism,” she said.
The minister said horse racing could be positioned as family entertainment that combines sports and tourism, drawing on the popularity of established race meetings such as the OK Grand Challenge and Castle Tankard.
She added Government is open to partnerships to restore the sector and encourage more Zimbabweans to participate in domestic tourism.
Minister Rwodzi also called for a broader understanding of sports tourism, highlighting it extends beyond horse racing to include football, rugby, netball and other sporting disciplines that attract spectators and generate spending on accommodation, food, transport and entertainment.
She said sports tourism could attract both domestic and international visitors, with high-spending tourists attending major sporting events contributing significantly to the economy.
The minister said the Government is working towards a US$10 billion tourism economy by 2030, adding that the sector needs to make substantial progress over the next three years to remain on course to achieve the target.
The Purple Bloom Cup also placed cancer awareness at the centre of the sporting event, with CancerServe using the occasion to promote early diagnosis, screening, treatment and palliative care.
The organisation’s founder and consultant clinical oncologist Dr Anna Mary Nyakabau said the organisation, established in 2018, is committed to providing world-class cancer services in Zimbabwe, particularly for disadvantaged patients.
She said fear and stigma surrounding cancer often discourage people from seeking medical attention, thereby making public awareness campaigns essential.
“When people hear about cancer, they get so frightened. If we talk about cancer more, eventually people will understand the disease more,” she said.
Dr Nyakabau encouraged people to adopt healthier lifestyles, including healthy eating and regular physical activity, while avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol consumption to reduce cancer risks.
She emphasised the importance of screening and early diagnosis, noting that some cancers could be detected before symptoms appeared. Dr Nyakabau said at this stage, treatment is generally more effective.
“Cancer is not a death sentence. It can be detected early. You receive treatment and continue to live a normal life,” she said.
The event’s Purple Bloom theme combined the pink associated with cancer awareness and the purple of Harare’s jacaranda season, linking the sporting spectacle with health advocacy and entertainment.
