Harare (New Ziana) -The Great Zimbabwe World Heritage site in Masvingo province is set to undergo a massive infrastructure upgrade to enable it to attract more tourists, a Cabinet Minister has said.

This follows Cabinet approval of a Memorandum of Cooperation between the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe and the French Development Agency (AFD).

In a weekly post Cabinet briefing, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said the project intended to improve the infrastructure at the site, as well as enhancing capacity building, economic development and cultural empowerment of the local communities.

“Cabinet considered and approved the Memorandum on the Cooperation project between the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe (NMMZ) and the French Development Agency (AFD) as presented by the Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, Honourable Kazembe Kazembe on the improvements of infrastructure at the Great Zimbabwe World Heritage Site.

“The cooperation ensures the development and renovation of the Great Zimbabwe World Heritage Site, mobilization and capacity building of the National Museums and Monuments and development needs of communities around Great Zimbabwe.

“It is envisaged that upon completion, the site will attract more domestic and foreign tourists and make them stay longer at the site,” said Mutsvangwa.

She said according to a feasibility study that the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe carried out, major challenges that the Great Zimbabwe Heritage Site faced included documentation and conservation of the tangible and intangible heritage, interpretation and visitor facilities; management and promotion of additional tourism attractions.

New Ziana