SADC tourism forum to benefit Chipinge communities
COMMUNITIES in Chipinge shall benefit from a Trans-Frontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs) Networking Forum for Sustainable Community Livelihood that shall take place at Muhlanguleni Cultural Village in Chiredzi from 13 to 17 November this year.
Supported by Southern Africa Development Community-Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (SADC-GIZ), the forum seeks to create interaction for community groups on issues of conservation and cultural tourism.
Chipinge communities of Mahenye, Chipote and Mutandahwe are adjacent to Gonarezhou National Park which amalgamates with Kruger National of South Africa and Limpopo National Park of Mozambique to form The Great Limpopo TFCA.
An estimated 60 delegates from Botswana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Zambia shall deliberate on how they have managed human-wildlife conflicts, conservation of natural resources and culture in their respective areas.
SADC region is home to three of the world’s major TFCAs, also known as peace parks projects. These areGreat Limpopo TFCA, Kavango-Zambezi (KAZA) TFCA and Greater Mapungubwe TFCA.
The forum is being coordinated by Centre for Cultural Development Initiative (CCDI), a Chiredzi based nonprofit organisation which promotes community development through culture and conservation.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s tourism is to profit from a Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Trans-Frontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs) Networking Forum that shall take place next week from 13 to 17 November at Muhlanguleni Cultural Village, Chiredzi.
This was said by the director for Centre for Cultural Development Initiative (CCDI), Mr Hebert Pikela, whose Chiredzi based non-profit organisation that promotes community development through culture and conservation is coordinating the event.
CCDI runs two flagships, Muhlanguleni Cultural Village where the forum shall take place and The Great Limpopo International Cultural Fair that takes place in every July in Chiredzi.
Said Mr Pikela: “The forum shall take place at a venue adjacent to Gonarezhou National Park. The park is part of The Great Limpopo TFCA. The coming of regional delegates to a TFCA boosts tourism business in our country which is in dire need of foreign currency.”
Mr Pikela is pleased that both urban and rural tourism shall benefit from the event. “The venue is in a rural setting and there is exchange of business between urban and rural tourism players. That exchange is healthy for our economy,” he added.
Running under the theme: Promoting Trans boundary Intercommunity Interaction for Sustainable Livelihood, the forum seeks deliberate on how communities are resolving human-wildlife conflict, conserving natural resources and culture in their areas.
SADC region is home to three of the world’s major TFCAs (peace parks projects) being the host Great Limpopo TFCA, Kavango-Zambezi (KAZA) TFCA and Greater Mapungubwe TFCA.