Story by Tichaona Kurewa
THE Hot Springs area in Chimanimani District of Manicaland Province is undergoing a massive transformation which will boost tourism activities and infrastructural development in the Eastern Highlands.
The transformation is a culmination of a 15-year partnership between Chimanimani Rural District Council (CRDC) and the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC).
Hot Springs are one of the key tourist draw cards in the Eastern Highlands, hence this collaboration aims to transform the area into a modern urban settlement, enhancing tourism and creating new opportunities for the community.
ZCDC and Chimanimani RDC revealed multiple goals are on the cards for the area known for hot water, widely believed to have supernatural powers.
“We have agreed to take over the management of Hot Springs, primarily for our football team to have the revenue source, but also to promote the local tourism facility, which had been run down. We are going to renovate the place, refurbish it, and then also put up sporting facilities around that place. So effectively, we are creating employment for the people of Chimanimani,” ZCDC Chief Executive Officer, Dr Douglas Zimbango said.
“The ZCDC is sprucing up the area. They have a football club that they want to house there. That is primarily the reason we are into that understanding. In terms of the law, council can offer a lease up to a maximum of 25 years, but it has to be renewable every five years,” Chimanimani RDC Chief Executive Officer, Mr Nehemia Deure stated.
In addition to revamping the Hot Springs resort, the project includes the development of residential and industrial estates on land allocated to ZCDC, serving both employees and the wider Chimanimani community.
The initiative comes at an opportune time when various stakeholders are on a drive to promote tourism in the country through round-trips from the majestic Victoria Falls to the Eastern Highlands.
New air routes linking Victoria Falls, Bulawayo, Harare, and Mutare are expected to further enhance accessibility and tourism in the region and beyond.
