€3m French boost for Great Zimbabwe

BUSINESS REPORTER

 

Zimbabwe has secured €3m for the rehabilitation and development of the Great Zimbabwe World Heritage site in Masvingo Province.

The funding was secured from the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the French public development institution.

The Great Zimbabwe Development Project aims to promote sustainable and inclusive tourism development and cultural heritage of Zimbabwe. This will be achieved by improving the conservation of the World Heritage Site and strengthening national capacities to manage the site while promoting inter-linkages with the local economy.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa will launch the project today.

The three-year project will be implemented by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in collaboration with the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe (NMMZ) under the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage.

UNOPS and NMMZ will work closely with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation who are the custodian of World Heritage Sites. Other national partners include the Ministry of Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry, the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority, the Great Zimbabwe Board, the Environmental Management Authority, Masvingo Rural District Council and the National Parks and Wildlife Authority Management.

The collaboration between all project partners will guarantee that the project preserves and safeguards the cultural heritage of the Great Zimbabwe World Heritage site so that future generations can enjoy, benefit and learn from the legacy of Zimbabwe, UNOPS said in a statement.

The Great Zimbabwe World Heritage Site represents one of the most architectural and cultural landscapes in Africa. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986. It is the largest dry-stone structure in sub-Saharan Africa.

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