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Cde Obedingwa Mguni

Richard Muponde, Plumtree Correspondent
MANGWE legislator, Obedingwa Mguni, has urged the Government to tar Plumtree-Mphoengs Road to attract tourists for fishing at Ingwizi Dam and viewing of the recently discovered caves of the San people.

Few tourists visit Ingwizi Dam for sport fishing of bass fish, a species that dominates the water body. In an interview over the weekend, Mguni said tarring of the 66 kilometre stretch from Tshitshi to Mphoengs Border Post would bring business boom to Mangwe.

“Tourists come from Botswana for fishing and some for viewing the caves, which were recently discovered at Ingwizi containing old clay pots and paintings by the San people. The type of fish species here was planted in the dam in the 1950s by whites who lived in this area,” said Mguni.

“We are also lobbying for the caves to be declared a national monument. The tarring of the road will bring a lot of business to Ingwizi, which also has space for a three star hotel.”

He said after the tarring of the road they have plans to build village hotels popularly known as “Votels” built with pole and dagga and thatch grass.

“Tourists who visit Ingwizi don’t want the luxury they left at home. They want something different from hotel life hence the plan to build Votels here at Ingwizi. We also want chalets here. Right now tourists bring their own tents, which they use for camping at the dam,” he said.

Mguni also said a proper road network would also improve production levels at Ingwizi Arda, which is under Command Agriculture.

“Right now it’s a problem for trucks to deliver inputs to the irrigation scheme. Trucks are getting stuck in the mud because of the bad state of the road and in the process delaying production. We want vehicles to pass easily without fears of a breakdown. That will also bring business to Mphoengs Border Post,” said Mguni.

Ingwizi Business Centre is the capital of Mangwe District where service providers were contemplating relocating to but a poor road network has delayed the plans. — @richardmuponde