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Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
ZIMBABWE has enough local endowments that can be harnessed to unlock economic transformation without relying on foreign direct investments, Zimbabwe National Defence University (ZNDU) Vice Chancellor and Commandant, Air Vice Marshal Michael Moyo, has said.

He was speaking at the end of a two-week tour across the country by ZNDU staff and students to appreciate local endowments, development projects and other places of significant national interest.

The students are undertaking a 10-month National Defence Course offered by the Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies at ZNDU. Participants are drawn from members of the uniformed forces, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Office of the President and Cabinet. Others are from allied partners, Nigeria, Zambia, Botswana, Malawi and Tanzania. The tour started in Harare and moved to Kwekwe, Gweru, Gwanda, Plumtree, Hwange and Victoria Falls where there was a meeting with captains of tourism industry.

“The tour was a success and we got value for money. Participants have learnt something and the capacity that Zimbabwe has to look forward to.

“We cry for foreign investment, yes it’s good but we have enough local resources to achieve our objectives,” said Air Vice Marshal Moyo.

He said the tour was organised to expose participants and staff to the reality on the ground about the country’s vast resources.

“We started from Kwekwe where we visited Dendairy Farm and factory and we were all impressed that the company that started small has grown big and competitive even in exports.

“We went to Manga Farm, an indigenous rancher in Gweru and after listening to his background and how he started, the lesson was that it is possible if you have a will to excel and that in itself taught us that it’s not the colour of the skin that matters, you can start small and grow,” said Air Vice Marshal Moyo.

The team visited Matabeleland South Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Abednico Ncube and met Chief Masendu in Plumtree to learn about governance issues and implementation of the devolution agenda.

The team also had a strategic seminar with stakeholders in Bulawayo before visiting Hwange National Park in Hwange. They also toured Zambezi Coal and Gas Mine and Hwange Power Station before going to Victoria Falls for a meeting with the tourism industry.

He said the students, including foreigners, had been equipped with knowledge about Zimbabwe’s locally available natural resources as opposed to negative publicity in the international media.

He said ZNDU has a mutual working relationship with the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) anchored on the need to protect tourism as a security area.

“Tourism is a very important sector in our economy and Covid-19 exemplified what would happen if tourism collapsed. ZNDU is a defence owned university principally focusing on national security as our core business and being exposed to tourism and its role in preserving national security,” said Moyo.

“Our partnership with ZTA supports and promotes the need for national security especially on being ambassadors and marketers to grow our gross domestic product.”

ZTA acting chief executive Mr Givemore Chidzidzi said the sector was showing signs of recovery from the effects of the global pandemic. -@ncubeleon