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Chimene offers hotel group ‘free’ land

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MANICALAND Provincial Affairs minister Mandiitawepi Chimene has offered land to African Sun to build a five-star hotel at the scenic Christmas Pass in Mutare.

MANICALAND Provincial Affairs minister Mandiitawepi Chimene has offered land to African Sun to build a five-star hotel at the scenic Christmas Pass in Mutare.

BY KENNETH NYANGANI/ABIGAIL MATSIKIDZE

Chimene offered the land “free” at the weekend declaring she was using powers vested in her by President Robert Mugabe. She was speaking at the launch of Holiday Inn hotel by the Amber group.

“I should use the small powers I was given by President Robert Mugabe and I am offering you (African Sun and Brainworks) land to build your hotel, I am giving you the chance to start to build the hotel and after that a payment plan can be negotiated,” she said.

“This rebranding is a sign of confidence that Brainworks, the major shareholder in African Sun Zimbabwe, has in the tourism and hospitality industry and demonstrates (that) indeed, African Sun is the leader in this sector.”

Chimene said she would be watching progress in the next 12 months.

“(This) will see the owners invest close to $1,5 million to make the hotel fresh and up to date in keeping with the current international standards,” she added.

Mutare town clerk Joshua Maligwa, who also attended the event, agreed with Chimene.

“We want a magnificent landmark at Christmas Pass mountain. We have got two stands measuring three and a half hectares and 5,5 hectares. We are very excited that Holiday Inn has come to Mutare,” he said, adding payment terms would be negotiated later.

“We are so excited that Holiday Inn has come to Mutare and we are looking forward to have a better, if not magnificent, five-star hotel up the Christmas Pass mountain. We are also inviting investors to come to Mutare so that we can have a better hotel; otherwise for Holiday Inn we are very excited.”

African Sun Limited director Edwin Shangwa said the launch of the global brand was coming on the back of numerous efforts by government to increase the country’s accessibility and capacity for trade in the region.

Holiday Inn is a member of Intercontinental Hotel Group (IHG), a global hotel brand with over 5 000 hotels.