Staff Reporter

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has commended the French Development Agency and the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe for signing a partnership agreement to conserve the Great Zimbabwe Monuments.

Speaking during the signing ceremony yesterday in Masvingo, President Mnangagwa said that the development was in sync with Government`s desire to ensure the recovery and growth of tourism.

“It is my honor and privilege to address you all, as we witness the signing of a partnership agreement between the French Development Agency and the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe, in a project to conserve the Great Zimbabwe Monuments.

“This development is most opportune and is in sync with my Government`s desire to ensure the recovery, growth and ultimately increased contribution of the tourism sector to the growth of our country`s economy,” said President Mnangagwa.

In August last year, President Mnangagwa launched the National Tourism Recovery and Growth Strategy in Victoria Falls meant to revive the Tourism sector.  The partnership between the French development Agency and the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe has set in motion the immortalization of the country’s heritage.

“The interventions of this project will go a long way in enhancing the realization of our country’s tourism recovery and growth targets. The multi-dimensional package of interventions of this project which include, documentation and conservation of tangible and intangible heritage of the site, installation of interpretation and visitor’s facilities at the site, as well as commercial management and marketing of the site are a welcome development,” said President Mnangagwa.

Meanwhile, President Mnangagwa highlighted that the white minority regime had the intention of denying Zimbabweans their right to own Great Zimbabwe but their ploy failed.

“We must be alive to the fact that our protracted armed struggle for independence also revolved around the importance of the Great Zimbabwe Monument as the oppressive white minority regime had the intention of denying us the Zimbabwean people of its ownership and authorship.

“The failed ploy to underplay our fore-fathers human creativity was realized through a protracted war of liberation,” said President Mnangagwa.

The signing ceremony of the partnership agreement between the French Development Agency and the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe dovetails with President Mnangagwa`s Zimbabwe is Open for Business` mantra and the engagement and re-engagement drive.