Kanyemba: Sleeping giant awakens
FOR decades, Kanyemba, in rural Mbire District, Mashonaland Central province, has been in the backwaters of development, but under the Second Republic, things are fast changing.
A massive transformation is taking shape after Government designated the area as a Special Economic Zone for Tourism, Agriculture and Trade. Authorities are in the process of implementing a grand plan to make Kanyemba a veritable cornucopia of border-tourist town, something in the mould of Victoria Falls and Beitbridge, rolled into one.
There are few places in Zimbabwe that can match Kanyemba’s natural splendour particularly as it comprises the fascinating three-frontier border that Zimbabwe shares with Zambia and Mozambique along the mighty Zambezi River.
Added to this geographical spectacle is the miraculous confluence of Zambezi and Luangwa rivers, a natural phenomenon that leaves tourists captivated as the two water bodies, which eventually flow to the Indian Ocean, do not mix. Most importantly, the three-frontier border presents the shortest route for Zimbabwe to Central Africa, a factor that provides a much-needed boon for the country to take its place under the Africa Continental Free Trade Area pact to stimulate intra-Africa trade.
Kanyemba is also endowed with rich wildlife, virgin agriculture land, as well as reported reserves of uranium.
Unfittingly Kanyemba has been known more for unpleasant challenges such as agonisingly hot weather, tsetse-fly, erratic rainfall patterns and malaria, but under President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s leadership, the area has been handed a new impetus. In line with the Zimbabwe is Open for Business policy, Kanyemba is geared to leverage on its potential and become one of the country’s most important towns.
Since President Mnangagwa came into office, top Government officials have made a beeline for Kanyemba underscoring the commitment to fast track development there.
Last Thursday, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga was in Kanyemba, accompanied by several Cabinet ministers including Professor Mthuli Ncube (Finance and Economic Development), Perrance Shiri (Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement), Fortune Chasi (Energy and Power Development), Joel Biggie Matiza (Transport and Infrastructural Development), Reserve Bank Governor Dr John Mangudya, deputy ministers and several senior Government officials.
The high-powered delegation once again underlined Government’s seriousness to transform Kanyemba to become a significant town for Zimbabwe.
In an interview with The Sunday Mail, Mbire Rural District chief executive Mr Claudius Nyahuma Majaya said the vision for Kanyemba was to achieve town status by 2023.
”We are excited that this plan to achieve town status by 2023 has received the full backing from the top echelons of Government.”
Mr Majaya said, to date, several investors have dangled multi-million-dollar proposals to develop the area.
“The investors are coming fast and we are actually overwhelmed by the number of proposals that we have received. Most of the potential investors are those in the hotel and property business,” he added.
“Kanyemba is a true testimony that Zimbabwe is Open for Business because we used to be an area known for being uninhabitable, but now we have several top companies interested to invest in the area.”
While a lot still needs to be done for Kanyemba to become a world-class tourist town, initial progress has been recorded. One of the major challenges facing the area is unnavigable roads and lack of electricity, but to date authorities have started tarring of the Mahuhwe-Kanyemba road.
Preparatory works have also begun for a three-way bridge to connect Zimbabwe, Zambia and Mozambique that will be funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB).
With regards electricity, the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has been speeding up work to connect large parts of the area to the national grid. There are also plans to increase the number of clinics and schools. For the people of Kanyemba, all these recent developments have been enthralling.
In an interview with The Sunday Mail at his homestead, paramount chief of the Kanyemba area Chief Enock Chapoto said he was thrilled by Government’s commitment to develop the area.
“Before President Mnagagwa came into office, we never had such high-level visits. It shows that Government is sincere in its plans and we are in full support of what they are doing,” he said.
“Our area has been underdeveloped for a long time but we can see that things are changing and they are also changing fast.”
Rich cultural heritage
However, Chief Chapoto urged authorities to preserve Kanyemba’s rich cultural heritage.
“The development that is taking place should not affect our cultural heritage that we have in the area. There are a lot of sacred caves and shrines,” he said.
“The great ancestor of our country, Munhumutapa Nyatsimba Mutota, loved Kanyemba very much and died on his way here to conquer the salt pan on the edge of the Zambezi River.”
“This is the area which was also the transit point during the slave trade. As we develop the town, this is the history that we should preserve because some of the relics still remain.”
Another interesting factor to the Kanyemba town is the Doma, a unique group of people known as the tribe with two toes, who have captured global attention because of their distinctive lifestyles.
The Doma people have been known to be reclusive as they avoid interaction with other people outside of their tribe. But in an interview, headman of the Doma people, Mr Jivas Chinobaiwa Chiyambo, said his tribe was now warming up to interacting with other communities.
“The First Lady (Auxillia Mnangagwa) came here some months ago and underscored how she was keen to help us in all the challenges that we faced. The people were happy with her visit and she donated various foodstuffs and goodies.
“We are pleased with what Government is doing but we would like them to do more, particularly in terms of food supply,” he said.
It is clear that Kanyemba is like a raw gem that is being polished and when its refinement is complete, the results will be sweet for Zimbabwe.
The future town highlights the visionary leadership of the Second Republic and its commitment to creating a bright future for the people under Vision 2030.