Story by Mercy Bofu-Matinha
A total of 44 contestants participated at the Masvingo Provincial Amai’s Traditional Cookout competition held at Masvingo Polytechnic College this Wednesday.
The cookout competition continues to grow and become more inclusive, with this year’s edition including people with disabilities.
Masvingo Polytechnic College was the place to be with contestants drawn from communities, tertiary institutions, people with disability and professional chefs showcasing their cooking skills.
Winners of the competition paid tribute to the First Lady for promoting traditional foods at the same time affording them a platform to learn and sharpen their cooking skills.
“Representing people with disability, I stand here with so much joy and pride. Our First Lady realised that we also have potential, hence she allowed us to come and showcase our talents. Through the interaction only, we have learnt a lot and it shows that the government is embracing us all,” winner, Courage Murambadare said.
The government acknowledged gastronomy tourism as a key driver for the transformation of economies, community empowerment and a catalyst for cultural branding.
“Our Visionary, the First Lady Dr Auxilia Mnangagwa came up with this idea of strengthening gastronomy tourism. She popularised it through several initiatives including the cookout competitions.
“This sector continues to grow at the same time contributing to the growth of our economy. As government, we continue to support and promote gastronomy tourism and the entire value chain which is supported by our communities,” the Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Honourable Barbara Rwodzi said.
All the contestants received food hampers and certificates with winners who include Murambadare taking first place in the Persons with Disability category, Mujee Sekai from Gutu was crowned the winner in the Community Category, while Dorcas Chikondere from Masvingo Polytechnic College took the first place in the Tertiary Institutions Category.
