ZTA hosts Nkomo Trust commemorations

By The NewsDay | Jul. 2, 2019 | 2 Min read

THE Joshua Nkomo Legacy Restoration Project Trust (JNLRPT) yesterday hosted the Legacy Walk and Umdala Dance in Bulawayo, which ran under the theme: I am because you are in commemoration of the late national hero Joshua Nkomo.

BY SILAS NKALA

The JNLRPT partnered with the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) to organise the event. ZTA is not new to the “Joshua Nkomo Brand”, having been a partner in the launch of the Tourism and Heritage Trails last year.

The programme was crafted to celebrate the country’s rich history and culture, retracing the steps of one of Zimbabwe’s national heroes and former Vice-President Nkomo, who died on July 1, 1999.

Speaking at the event held at the White City Stadium in Bulawayo yesterday, ZTA acting chief executive Rita Likukuma said: “Part of our role as the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority is to identify and develop tourism products that have potential to enhance our product offering hence in 2018 we partnered with the Trust in launching The Joshua Nkomo Tourism Heritage Trails. Heritage and Tourism Trails are routes that seek to take one on a historic journey around a particular event or a person.

“Trails, when properly packaged, can benefit communities as they often lead to the heart of communities as is the case of the Joshua Nkomo Heritage Trails. Trails have become a new phenomenon not only in Africa, but globally. As a nation we value our founding fathers for the role they played in liberating our great nation, hence our story as a nation can never be complete without their mention.

“. . . The Joshua Nkomo Heritage Trails seeks to document and provide a narrative that will enhance our rich history as a nation.”

Likukuma added: “Global statistics from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, Statistical Unit and United Nations World Tourism Organisation indicate that Heritage tourism contributes more that 40% to world tourism arrivals. We, therefore, must position our destination properly in order to tap into this market.”