ABOUT 5 000 people per day flock to the site of the statue of the late Vice-President Joshua Nkomo at the intersection of the recently-named Joshua Nkomo Street and 8th Avenue in the Bulawayo central business district, an official has claimed.
JUNIOR MOYO/ LINDA CHINOBVA
According to the chief executive officer of the Joshua Nkomo National Foundation Jabulani Hadebe, people from different walks of life have been visiting the statue since it was unveiled on December 22 last year by President Robert Mugabe.
“Ever since the statue was unveiled, we have witnessed more than 5 000 people a day visiting the statue from as early as 7am to as late as 10pm,” Hadebe said.
He said, on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, large numbers of people, including foreigners, thronged the statue as it had given a different feel to the city centre since it was mounted.
Hadebe said most people visited the statue via the temporary pedestrian mall where local talent was being showcased and entertainment was provided for free.
“We expected more people to occupy the mall, especially considering that it was for free. The reason why the mall did not have a lot of occupants could be because there was little advertising.”
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
He said the foundation had generated a lot of funds after putting up a stand with souvenirs that portray the man now commonly known as Father Zimbabwe.
“We have been busy selling our products since the day of the unveiling of the statue and people are still coming in large numbers to buy. The souvenirs are in the form of T-shirts, calendars, key holders, portraits, badges, coffee mugs , caps and golf T-shirts, books and CDs chronicling Nkomo’s history and contributions to Zimbabwe.”
He said they faced challenges meeting demand as a lot of people wanted the products. Although the foundation’s Nkomo souvenirs have proved to be popular with residents, the pedestrian mall where it is situated has seen a low occupancy which Hadebe attributed to lack of publicity.
Only Bravo Bus Services, Telecel, Bulawayo City Council and Clarion Insurance Company took up space at the mall along with a host of photographers who offer instant photos, especially at the giant statue. Some sculptors have also taken to displaying their work at the mall where favourable financial rewards are being reported.
A calendar maker, Sifiso Mkandla, who has a stand at the pedestrian mall, said business has been booming since he moved to the mall. Mkandla takes pictures of people and inserts them on the calendars he makes, making his business one of the popular ones at the mall.
“The mall has seen us making money from our work for the first time in a long time. Demand for our calendars has been high since we came here,” he said.
Photographer Simbarashe Nyoni shared the same sentiments with Mkandla saying the mall had been a money spinner for him. “The mall has made money for some of us as people want photos taken next to the statue,” Nyoni said.
Nyoni said he hoped the pedestrian mall could be made permanent as it had proved to be popular since it was opened.
He said this would also help photographers like him make money as they would easily meet potential customers in the proximity of the statue.
