The ManicaPost
Liberty Dube Entertainment Correspondent
THE much-anticipated Harare International Carnival which was scheduled for October 6 to 9 has been moved to a later date this year to allow the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority to engage its partners and key stakeholders who are holding several entertainment events during the same period.
ZTA head of corporate affairs, Sugar Chagonda, recently revealed in an interview that they shifted the three-day fiesta which is one of the biggest street parties in Africa to pave way and offer full support to stakeholders’ similar initiatives. The showcase was initially moved from September 14 to October to allow stakeholders to focus on pushing Tourism and Hospitality Minister, Walter Mzembi’s bid for the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) secretary-general post. Mzembi who is Africa’s candidate was endorsed by the Africa Union Heads of State and Government Summit in Kigali in Rwanda in July this year.
“We are working on new dates. We are engaging our stakeholders to avoid clashing with them since they could have entertainment events during the initially proposed dates.
“We realised that dates were clashing with the private sector’s entertainment events. So we moved the dates so that we offer them full support. We don’t want to spoil other events because we complement each other.
“That means the carnival will take place later in the year. We are, however, happy by the overwhelming response we are receiving from countries that are willing to be part of the fiesta. The interest and excitement is there,” said Chagonda.
He added that local, regional and international countries such as Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago, Germany, Zambia and South Africa, Swaziland, Mozambique, Namibia, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates who attended last year’s carnival, were currently registering to participate in the potentially-intriguing jamboree that has for the past years attracted global attention.
Last year, the fête attracted scores of people from across the world who attended popular entertainment gigs such as the Carnival Muringa Music Festival, Carnival Activation Party, Carnival Bira, Ragga – Soca Night, Samba Night and DRC Night which was graced by DRC rhumba giant, Koffi Olomide.
The major highlight, however, was the street carnival headlined by Brazilian erotic and waist-wriggling and dancers, Momo King.
They left many clamouring for more with their seductive choreographed Caribbean moves, Samba dances as well as skimpy sexy attires. The Brazilian queens came out tops in the Best International Category, while South Africa and Egypt came out second and third respectively.
Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Walter Mzembi, described the carnival which was also meant to build synergies, promote tourism and preserving and enriching our culture as successful.
