Online Reporter
Lloyd Makonya
Correspondent
WHEN Zimbabwe’s music legend and late national hero, Dr Oliver Mtukudzi, released his timeless song, Matitsika in 2012, off the album, Sarawoga, he offered the nation more than music, he gave us an anthem of hospitality.
In this classic, Tuku as he was known globally, reminded us that “a home becomes a home because of guests.”
With a voice as warm as a smile, he sang:
“Tinokutambirai mawuya,
Tinokutambirai nemawoko maviri…”
(We welcome you, you have come,
We welcome you with both hands…)
This message resonates deeply in Manicaland at this moment in time, a region popularly known as Kumakomoyo, the land of warm hearts.
Here, the mountains, valleys and rivers are, not just landscapes, but symbols of a people who welcome visitors with open arms and genuine smiles.
As Mutare hosts the Sanganai/Hlanganani/Kumbanayi World Tourism Expo 2025, Manicaland stands ready to echo Tuku’s words once more: Tinokutambirai. Mwauya. Welcome.
Hospitality in the Eastern Highlands is more than a handshake or a smile, it is best expressed at the dining table.
Guests are invited to savour traditional delicacies such as nyakatsapa, a much-loved green vegetable dish mixed with beef prepared with a rich, earthy taste that tells the story of our soils. No visit is complete without tasting our local yams magogoya and madhumbe, wholesome meals that have sustained generations.
And of course, there are the fresh bananas sweet, golden and sun-ripened in the fertile valleys of Honde and Burma Valley.
Each bite is, not just a taste of fruit, but a reminder of farming traditions passed down sustainably through families who live in harmony with the land.
Manicaland’s greatest treasure, however, is not only its cuisine or scenic beauty, it is its people.
Known for their warmth, openness and respect, the people of the Eastern Highlands embody the essence of matitsika.
Here, visitors are not strangers, they are embraced as family, welcomed with both hands and with the sincerity of a people who believe that “musha hauiti musha pasina vayenzi” — a home is not a home without guests.
As the world starts to converge in Mutare, Manicaland extends this same spirit to all, from near and far.
Whether you come to do business, to explore, or simply to breathe in the cool mountain air, expect to be received not just as a guest, but as part of a community.
So, as Tuku sang, we say once again with joy, Tinokutambirai mawuya. Tinokutambirai nemawoko maviri. Welcome to Manicaland, the land of warm hearts.
