Zimbabwe’s World Cup Swine Flu [2]

Published: October 27, 2009

(Analysis)As THE 2010 World Cup showcase to be held in South Africa draws closer Zimbabwe’s hopes of benefiting from the lucrative tournament to be hosted for the first time in Africa are becoming thinner and thinner.While other countries are finalising their preparations for 2010 World Cup, Zimbabwe is still lagging and stumbling backwards at its initial stages as far as 2010 World Cup preparations are concerned.

Missed target

The multi-million dollar project, the National Social Security Authority and Rainbow Tourism Group (NSSA-RTG) Hotel which is being constructed in Beitbridge town failed to meet the 2010 World Cup preparations deadline.Initially the project was intended to be completed before the 2010 tournament kickstart in about nine months down south.Due to lack of financial support, the hotel is now expected to be completed in December 2010, five months after the 2010 World.Definitely this is a missed and wasted cashcow for Zimbabwe.The inclusive governmet should put their differences aside and mobilised funds for the project before it is too late.The 150 roomed hotel project has the potential of bringing in the much needed foreign currency in the country since it is strategically positioned.Beitbridge town has the competitive advantage as compared to other towns as far as 2010 World Cup preparations are concerened.Since the hotel is located in Beitbridge, the town that is closer and shares the border with South Africa, there are high chances that many soccer tourists would love to accomodate themselves and spend their money in this town.The Minister of Finance should set aside a chunk of his 2009 November Budget for this project.If the project failed to meet the 2010 deadline Zimbabwe risk loosing the much needed foreign currency in its fiscus.

ZIFA should come back to its normal senses of administering football in Zimbabwe if the country is to benefit from the showcase.At the moment the progress to repair the National Sports Stadium is moving at a snail pace.Instead, the stadium had been converted and transformed into a ‘horticultural’ garden.The stadium was supposed to be used during the ongoing Cosafa soccer games as a marketing strategy to showcase one of the country’s best stadiums to the visiting teams and the world over who will be willing to camp in Zimbabwe during the 2010 tournament.

Recently the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport, Communication and Infrastucture Development, Engeneer Nelson Kudenga had revealed that the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) needs at least US$100 million to complete the refurbishment of national airports before year end.Currently, refurbishment of Joshua Nqabuko Nkomo and Victoria Falls Airports is at standstill due to lack of financial backup.Harare International Airport uses its runaway as a taxiway, a situation which has caused delays in landing and takeoffs of aircrafts.The construction of the taxiway at the international airport is expected to be completed sooner when “funds are available”.

Zimbabwe should complete the refurbishment of its airport before 2010, otherwise no single tourist will be willing to fly and land at Zimbabwe’s mediocre airports.It will also be difficult for the country to lure back European airlines which have withdrawn their flights if its airports are not upgraded immediately to meet world class standard.The country should invite public-private partnerships to refurbish the airports and start to initiate strategies to lure back the airlines which had withdrawn their aircrafts to Zimbabwe so that the country will have its fair share of the golden cake of 2010.

‘The Sunshine City’

In the mid 90’s Harare City was the envy of many and it was/is known as the Sunshine City.Over the past years the city had been transformed from ‘the Sunshine City’ into ‘the Pothole and Trench City’.The city roads are still infested with potholes and unfilled trenches while soccer tourists from 32 countries worldwide are craving to visit and bath sunshine in the ‘Sunshine City’ next year.At the moment the city fathers are doing splendid work of replacing rusty and antiqued water pipes in the city, a development that had combated the gushing out of treated water that had became the routine of the day in the city centre.However, the city fathers had forgetten to fill the trenches which they dug.The trenches pose danger to motorists and pedestrians.The trenches had also exarcebated traffic jams caused by non-functional road robots.The Brazilian national soccer team had pledged that it will camp in Zimbabwe during the 2010 World Cup.What will happen if the teambus carrying Kaka and his team mates found itself locked up in a traffic jam and confronted by unruly kombi drivers?.It will be a shame!.The Harare City Council should not politicize the city development, 2010 is coming and a failure by the city council to pull and lure 2010 soccer tourists is a failure and loss of revenue to the country of Zimbabwe.

Forgotten catalysts

Too much attention had been given to well known tourists attractions such as Victoria Falls at the expense of other country’s national monuments such as Khami and Zimbabwe Ruins, Gonarezhou and Hwange National Parks as far as the country’s 2010 World Cup preparations are concerned.The country had forgotten to upgrade National Monuments facilities such as accomodation.Parks and Wildlife Authority director general Dr Morris Mutsambiwa said that the lag time left before the 2010 World Cup tournament was too short to upgrade and fix facilities in the national parks.’Overally we have missed the 2010 opportunity’, he said.The upgrading of lodges and other facilities at the country’s national monuments and tourist attractions is of high priority in order to lure soccer tourists to the country.All the tourists attractions in Zimbabwe should be marketed and promoted to the world if Zimbabwe is to benefit fully from the 2010 games.

Zimbabwe need to join its hands together, initiate private-public partnerships in its quest to benefit from the 2010 World Cup Tournament to be held in South Africa.Its hope of gaining from the showcase depends on the country’s commitment in its preparations for the showcase to be held in 2010 at Mzansi. (ZimEye, Zimbabwe)

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Zimbabwe’s World Cup Swine Flu [2]

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