Zimbabwe will bid to host the Fifa World Cup in 2034 as it will by then have the capacity to host such a mega event when Africa gets another chance of hosting the tournament, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Walter Mzembi has said.Speaking after meeting Chief Mutoko (Philemon Nyachoto) at his offices in Harare, who visited to congratulate him after Zimbabwe recently won the World Best Tourism Destination for 2014 Award and the World Favourite Cultural Destination Award, Minister Mzembi said he had talked to Fifa president Joseph Sepp Blatter during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa who told him that it was possible for Zimbabwe to host the mega event.
He said there was need for the country to keep on dreaming big to achieve such a feat.
“I spoke to FIFA president Sepp Blatter during the 2010 Fifa World Cup in South Africa and he told me that it was possible for Zimbabwe to host the 2034 Fifa World Cup as long as we keep on having such big dreams and vision,” he said.
“Nothing can stop us from hosting the 2034 Fifa World Cup and we are going to put our bid to host it no matter what.”
Minister Mzembi said this was the proper time to market the country as a favourite host of the 2034 Fifa World Cup.
“If we are to host the 2034 Fifa World Cup this is the right time to start marketing our country as a safe tourist destination,” he said.
Minister Mzembi said Zimbabwe was endowed with a lot of natural resources and monuments which are yet to be recognised as tourist destinations.
“We have a lot of ruins that are fit to be part of Zimbabwe’s tourist attractions across the country but they are being left idle because the ministry is putting a lot of focus on those that are already established.
“I am appealing to the Ministry of Tourism to move out of Harare and lift other areas with ruins across the country to promote domestic tourism,” he said.
Chief Mutoko thanked President Mugabe for choosing ministers like Cde Mzembi who are working hard for the benefit of the country at large.
The meeting was also attended by Warriors international striker Edward Sadomba who urged all those in the sporting field to come forward and support Minister Mzembi in his vision of hosting the Fifa World Cup.
“I would like to urge all those Zimbabweans in the sporting arena to put their support on Minister Mzembi’s vision to make sure that the biggest soccer tournament in hosted here,” he said.
