Published: 3 hours ago

President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa is set to officially open the annual Sanganai/Hlanganani/Kumbanayi Tourism Expo in Mutare, which this year is being held under the theme, "Devolving Sustainable Tourism Development – Our Future."

The event, traditionally hosted at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) grounds in Bulawayo, was moved to Mutare as part of government efforts to decentralize national events. However, reports indicate that the relocation has significantly increased hosting costs. While the expo in Bulawayo typically cost around US$500 000, estimates suggest that staging the event in Mutare will exceed US$2 million due to the need for additional infrastructure.

"The Sanganai/Hlanganani Expo was moved officially to allow other regions to host it, but this has not added value to the event and has instead made it more expensive," a source told Newshawks. "Moving the event across the country sounds good in principle, but economically it is not justified. In this case, officials appear to have used their positions to profit through infrastructure, procurement, and supply deals."

Despite these concerns, authorities have defended the move as part of the broader strategy to promote tourism development across Zimbabwe, with the three-day expo scheduled from 10 to 12 September.
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