A sports festival to rescue Chivero
“That is they don’t know what Chivero was like and only see this, they have no idea what it could be like. We don’t need foreign investment; we need a business plan with stakeholders who are dedicated to rebranding Chivero,” Stafford said.
“The only business now (apart from Kuimba Shiri) is braai’s, beer, noise and netting fish. This (challenge) could be the lifeline Chivero so desperately needs.
“I realised that we need to do the challenge as soon as possible to “Live Again,” to take advantage of the beach area around the lake. Then to raise funds for the renovations of the bird park, a recycling collection point, fish farming projects, a nursery for reforestation and an environment reaction unit,” he added.
Lake Users Association are organising the Chivero Challenge in conjunction with Kuimba Shiri Bird Park, National Parks, Zimbabwe Tourism, Sports and Recreation Commission, City of Harare and Environmental Management Agency, among other partners.
The 21-kilometre challenge route for the horses, runners and mountain bikes will be from Kuimba Shiri, onto the crest of the Hunyani Hills, 4km to the dam wall, across the Manyame River and spillway, into the National Park where rhino and other animals roam freely.
From the national park the route will then head back along the water’s edge to finish at Kuimba Shiri.
Next year could see the distance increased to 42km or longer for other sport codes.
The motorbikes will use a course on the east side of Chivero to avoid frightening the wildlife and horses.
Chivero Challenge is open to individuals (both professional athletes and amateurs), teams and corporate companies at a fee.
Stafford also revealed the grand plan to bring all properties around Chivero together.
“After the Challenge we face a bigger challenge and that is to bring all the properties in the Lake Chivero Basin together. This would form the “Chivero Basin Conservancy”. It is intended to protect Harare’s water supply by protecting and improving our surrounding ecosystems.
“People will be encouraged to create businesses that are sustainable and eco-friendly. This will bring tourists and locals together to enjoy our pristine environment and all the activities on offer. For this, we need strong Government assistance to create a public, private partnership company that’s totally Zimbabwean,” he said.
This story was first published by the Weekly Digest, an AMH publication.
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