The annual cycling event organised for mining companies and communities aimed at showing appreciation of the Great Dyke through a 550 km cycling expedition along the mineral-rich belt is expected to become a global event.
Plans are being put in place to make sure the event which has for the past four years brought together mining firms along the dyke and communities to become a global showpiece like Tour de France.
This year’s event will take place from October 2 to 6 and the official opening of the event will take place at Great Dyke Investments in Darwendale.
“We want to make the Tour De Great Dyke big just like other tours being done in the world. This is an event that started out of passion but we are now looking at putting up structures that will ensure that foreigners will have a role to play.
“At the moment still only involves locals including mining companies and local authorities. It’s a massive event that brings together mining companies and the communities around them. This is also a platform for communities to also learn to appreciate the importance of
the wealth across the Dyke,” said event organiser Munyaradzi Hwengwere.
“We want this event to be just like Tour de France where people across the world will come just for this event and that alone has a major impact on economic development.”
Hwengwere said this event was also a wellness programme which would involve executives of mines plying their trade along the Dyke together with several companies who may be interested.
The Great Dyke is home to the country’s big mining companies including, Karo Resources, Zimplats, Mimosa, Unki Mine, Great Dyke Investments and African Chrome Fields among others.
“It is the truth that a majority of us don’t know much about the Great Dyke and therefore imagine the generality of Zimbabwe. It is a fact that a majority of people don’t know about what lies in the Great Dyke, what needs to be done to tap investments,” said Hwengwere. There are also plans to engage Zimbabwe Tourism Authority to find ways of marketing this event as a geological tourism opportunity.
Part of the proceeds for the event will go towards charity and paying school fees for promising students.
