TOURISM and education are intertwined and feed on each other, hence the alliance should be strengthened through educational programmes, ministers representing the two sectors have said.
Tourism and Hospitality Industry minister Barbara Rwodzi and her Higher and Tertiary Education counterpart Amon Murwira said this while speaking during a Scholastic Tourism Conference at the Sanganai/Hlanganani Expo on Thursday.
The 17th edition of Sangani/Hlangani Expo is underway at the ZITF Grounds in Bulawayo.
“Without education, we can’t have a tourism industry without our education being a part of it. We are the first country to bring together these ministries for gastronomy,” Rwodzi said.
Murwira said any system that functions well should have a handshake.
“If a system shakes hands, then it can work well and give good results. I always say you become what you learn. You can’t become what you don’t do or have not been exposed to,” he said.
“Vinyl will come from oil, glass must give us a bowl, a tree will bear fruit and maize will bring forth isitshwala (sadza). So if education has nothing to do with your daily life, then I always say it is a waste of time and witchcraft.”
- Looming showdown between teachers, Govt
- In the groove: ‘Devera Ngwena’ resurfaces at GZU graduation ceremony
- Project tackles sexual rights at colleges
- Looming showdown between teachers, Govt
Keep Reading
Murwira said those who were ahead should teach others.
“It’s about acquisition of knowledge and skill. When you are an engineer, don’t say now I will burn the bridges because I have crossed. What about others? Were you not taught to get where you are today? If you are a hotelier and you are teaching hotel services, then let’s have a school for that because where are you training the students?” he said.
“A soldier cannot be trained with a fake gun. I repeat that we do not want an education syllabus that has nothing to do with Great Zimbabwe or Matopos. We want it to be heritage-based and by that, I don’t mean it should be about folktales. I mean let it be about our water, let us be the ones to create our dams, build and design our lakes which can also serve as tourism destinations. Let it be about our minerals and how to use them for development.”
He added: “There is no sovereignty when we rely on others to then fix it. We saw during COVID-19 when they refused to give us masks and sanitisers. We had no option, but to create our own, that’s what we must do. So now we are building Bingwa Ecotourism and Industrial Park Conference Centre in Lupane.”
Murwira said it is “built for the students by the student after it was suggested to me some time ago by minister Rwodzi when she was deputy minister”.
Rwodzi joked that she often tells the Home Affairs minister to loosen up and allow tourism to thrive.
“I always joke with my colleague Kazembe Kazembe (Home Affairs minister) and say you guys have too much security at the airports there. Tourism is about money and knows no sin,” she said.
“If a person is up to no good, you will see them, but let them at least book in and have two dinners than arrest them so that we make money. That way, you also investigate to arrest and not arrest to investigate.”
